Champion of Olympus
by HephaestusBuilds
Summary: Post 'BOO'. A new Prophecy telling the destruction of Olympus is foretold, Zeus forbids the demigods to know & closes Olympus. Meanwhile a mysterious man with immense strength shows up at camp and the campers must figure out who he really is and if they can trust him. Who is he? Was he sent by someone to kill Percy or will he stand with the camp during the Prophecy? (OC Centered)
1. Sneak Peek: The Prophecy

Sneak Peek: The Prophecy

 **(Author's Note) (A full summary will be at the beginning of Chapter 1)**

 **Hey everyone! You guys have NO IDEA how excited I am to start this story! This is the Sneak Peek for my upcoming "Champion of Olympus" story. Since this is under a new story, I just wanted to let you all know what's going on. I decided to move the chapters from the Prequel Story to this new one, I will be putting up the main story chapters after these ones.**

" **Champion of Olympus" is strictly a Percabeth story, so you might be wondering why this has Percy and Artemis in it. Well that's because while I am a huge Percabeth shipper I do like Pertemis as well, I really like their dynamic so I decided to make this a FRIENDSHIP Pertemis story. Artemis and her Hunters also play a big role in the main story as well so I had to do some set up for it. That's what this story is, set up for my main story. So please give this a chance and if you like it then let me know and I'll be even more motivated to get the first main chapter out.**

 **Let me give a few clarifications for this story, they're important, so please take a second and read them:**

 **First, I plan to write another prequel story or two that will actually take place before this one. So I will mostly be skipping over a few things that will be explained in them so that I don't give out any spoilers right now. Mostly being how Percy obtained his Title, what it is, as well as new weapon. I'll give a basic explanation in this story but you'll have to read the other stories when they come out to get the full story.**

 **Second, I will be giving Percy the Curse of Achilles back in this story, I never really liked how Uncle Rick took it away in Son of Neptune just so that Percy wouldn't outclass the other demigods. Which he does regardless, I've done some research and do you guys have any idea how OP Percy is? He's insane. Anyway, I'll give a brief explanation for why it's back in this story. The Curse of Achilles also plays a part in the main story, so that's another reason why it's back.**

 **With that being said please leave a Review, Follow/Favorite and vote in my Poll on my Profile for my next stories. My PJ story is on there but since I have a general anime audience it doesn't have many votes, I wish to get a book audience as well. Hopefully you guys will vote for PJ because I want to write that story next.** _ **Hint hint, wink wink.**_

 **Enjoy the story, Hephaestus**

* * *

Sneak Peek: The Prophecy

 **(6/1/2010 - Mount Olympus)**

The entire Olympian council, bar Poseidon, sat on their respective thrones in silence. They all knew the reasoning for this meeting, though no one knew how to start it. But Ares gave it his best shot.

Slamming his fist onto the arm of his throne he bellowed to his fellow gods. "Are we here to sit in silence or are we here to talk?"

"Calm yourself, Ares." Athena's calm voice spoke out. "We all understand _why_ we are here, but some of us-"

" _Most_ of us." Apollo cut in, earning himself a glare from the goddess of Wisdom.

"But some of us are not sure that this is the best course of action." She finished, her chin held high.

"Not the best course of action?!" Ares questioned, unable to understand what he was hearing. "You all saw what that _bastard_ of an upstart did in Greece! He destroyed half of the mountainside! When are you all going to see that he's a threat to Olympus?!"

"When he proves himself to be one." Artemis spoke out from her silver throne.

Ares gestured wildly to the scene of carnage that was hovering before them. "He's already proved himself to be a threat!" The god of War cried. "On top of that he has now been granted with godly domains! He is the most powerful mortal to ever live! He _repeatedly_ refuses to accept immortality! And do you know why?"

"Why?" Artemis asked, her voice amused.

"Because he wishes to take our thrones by force!" Ares answered angrily.

This caused all of the gods in attendance to start talking all at once, voicing their opinions and demanding to be heard.

"You cannot be serious." Artemis spoke harshly.

"Percy would never do such a thing!" Apollo cried, bewildered.

"You're out of your mind, Ares." Hermes yelled.

"We have no reason to suspect Percy of such things-" Hephaestus started.

"You are merely miffed that young Perseus defeated you in battle, Ares." Athena cut in.

Ares slammed his fist down again. "Why you _book loving_ -"

"Enough! Silence!" Zeus slammed his Master Bolt to the ground, causing Olympus to shake and the other gods to silence themselves. He turned to Ares. "You know of my extreme distaste for my nephew, but this is a serious accusation, Ares. What _proof_ can you provide that Perseus will be a threat to Olympus?"

Ares made to speak but Apollo's sudden rising from his throne surprised the throne room. "Apollo," Zeus bellowed. "What are you-"

Green mist rose from his eyes, mouth and ears while the temperature dropped considerably around him. Apollo's mouth opened as wide as physically possible, but instead of his voice, three high, gravely female voices spoke in unison.

" **Olympus beware the Mortal of Might**

 **The heir shall strike War and Love in the night,**

 **A long forgotten foe shall rise, an Angel and Lion in disguise**

 **The Mount shall fall and the Sky will rise,**

 **The Son shall follow the fate of those before**

 **And slay his father at the door"**

Without warning, Apollo's body slumped to the floor. His sister, Artemis, was at his side in an instant. Just as the gods in the room exploded.

"The Fate Sisters have delivered another Prophecy." Hades spoke stoically from his throne.

"What does it mean, 'The Mount shall fall'?" Hephaestus asked. "Is it referring to Mount Olympus?"

"Does the sky refer to Ouranos?" Hera cried. "I thought that he had faded!"

"Beware a mortal?" Demeter asked, astonished as she held some grain as if it were her lifeline. "The only mortal that _could_ pose a threat to Olympus _would_ be young Perseus."

"We must wait until Apollo wakes until we jump to any conclusion!" Hermes yelled.

"A long forgotten foe? Does that refer to-" Aphrodite was cut off by an explosion of electricity.

"Silence!" Zeus roared. " We will discuss this-"

"You see, you see?!" Ares interrupted him, a very risky endeavor. "'The Son shall follow the fate of those before and slay his father at the door'." He smiled to his fellow gods like he had finally pieced everything together.

"'The Son shall follow the fate of those before' refers to how the son _always_ overthrows the father." He turned to Zeus, his eyes flaming wild. "Like how you killed your father, as his father did before him! Percy will kill his father and take his place! Kill all of Olympus as well!"

Athena cut in. "I do not believe-"

Ares slammed his spear to the ground. "Did you not hear the part about War and Love?!" He cried wildly. "Percy will kill me and Aphrodite as well!"

Hephaestus rose from his throne, a flaming sword appearing in his hand, putting his other hand protectively in front of his wife. "That _will not_ happen!"

"Silence!" Zeus bellowed. He sat back in his seat gruffly, seemingly weighing all of his options. He turned to Athena. "What say you, daughter?"

Athena's brow raised in thought. She remained silent for several minutes. "I believe that we must take this Prophecy seriously, father." She gestured to Ares. "I do not believe it coincidence that the Fates gave us this Prophecy when Ares was talking about a threat to Olympus. Though we can not be sure that Perseus _is_ the threat in the Prophecy."

"Minotaur-shit!" Ares cried, his throne aflame. Zeus sent him a dangerous look and the War god silenced himself and sat back down.

Zeus took in her words and sat on his throne in thought. "I have had my suspicions about Perseus since the beginning, he is not to be trusted. We must make preparations… just in case." He turned towards Athena. "Begin planning, Athena. We will be prepared for when Perseus attacks Olympus."

Hera turned to her husband, placing her hand on his arm. "Should we tell Poseidon, dear? It _is_ his son-."

"No!" Ares bellowed. "Poseidon will side with his spawn, we can't tell him! We will lose the element of surprise. Most battles are won because of a solid first strike!"

Zeus nodded his head. "We shall vote on it."

Apollo woke in Artemis' arms. He looked around the throne room with a confused look. "What did I say?" He asked, rubbing his throbbing head.

"Something that very well might have doomed Perseus' fate, my brother." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Come, we must make preparations."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Dun dun duuunnnnn!**

 **So there's the Prophecy for "Champion of Olympus".**

 **Thanks so much for reading! Hope you all enjoyed it! Please follow me on Twitter to get updates, vote on polls and just talk about nerdy stuff. I have like six followers, so I'd love some more that are actually Percy Jackson fans.**

 **Have a great day, and until next time, this has been Hephaestus.**


	2. Prequel ch1

Prequel Chapter 1: I Run Into A Goddess In The Woods

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! You guys have NO IDEA how excited I am to start this story! This is part 1/3 of a prequel story for my upcoming "Champion of Olympus" story. There are several things that I want to include in the story that happened before the story really starts, so I figured that a few prequel stories would be a good idea to tell them.**

" **Champion of Olympus" is strictly a Percabeth story, so you might be wondering why this has Percy and Artemis in it. Well that's because while I am a huge Percabeth shipper I do like Pertemis as well, I really like their dynamic so I decided to make this a FRIENDSHIP Pertemis story. Artemis and her Hunters also play a big role in the main story as well so I had to do some set up for it. That's what this story is, set up for my main story. So please give this a chance and if you like it then let me know and I'll be even more motivated to get the first main chapter out.**

 **Let me give a few clarifications for this story, they're important, so please take a second and read them:**

 **First, I plan to write another prequel story or two that will actually take place before this one. So I will mostly be skipping over a few things that will be explained in them so that I don't give out any spoilers right now. Mostly being how Percy obtained his Title, what it is, as well as new weapon. I'll give a basic explanation in this story but you'll have to read the other stories when they come out to get the full story.**

 **Second, I will be giving Percy the Curse of Achilles back in this story, I never really liked how Uncle Rick took it away in Son of Neptune just so that Percy wouldn't outclass the other demigods. Which he does regardless, I've done some research and do you guys have any idea how OP Percy is? He's insane. Anyway, I'll give a brief explanation for why it's back in this story. The Curse of Achilles also plays a part in the main story, so that's another reason why it's back.**

 **With that being said please leave a Review, Follow/Favorite and vote in my Poll on my Profile for my next stories. My PJ story is on there but since I have a general anime audience it doesn't have any votes, I wish to get a book audience as well. Hopefully you guys will vote for PJ because I want to write that story next.** _ **Hint hint, wink wink.**_

 **Enjoy the story, Hephaestus**

* * *

Prequel Chapter 1: I Run Into A Goddess In The Woods

 **(December 1, 2010 - Somewhere in the Wyoming wilderness)**

Have you ever run into someone somewhere you wouldn't expect? Like one of your old teachers at the grocery store? Maybe an ex at the gas station? Or your pastor in a speedo at the beach? Well, I'm having one of those moments right now, except the person I've ran into is more of a _Goddess_ than a person. And by run into her I mean almost get shot in the chest by one of her arrows.

 _Wait_ , let me start at the beginning, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. This may take awhile, I've had a confusing life. You've been warned.

My name is Perseus Jackson, call me Percy. I'm eighteen years old, though I've been told by some of the Aphrodite girls that I look older. Don't know how I should take that but I'll take it as a compliment. Who's Aphrodite? Well, she's a Goddess, plain and simple. An immortal being that rules over it's own Domain. In Aphrodite's case it's Love. I'm what you'd call a demigod. What does a demigod do, you might ask. _Well_ , as far as I've been able to piece together after eighteen years, we mostly just try to not die a horrible, painful, grizzly death. I've been pretty lucky so far, considering I've been able to reach the age of eighteen despite everything I've been through. Making it into adulthood is rare for a demigod, at least for us Greeks, the Romans have more luck in that department. Being able to reach adulthood, marry and have kids, I mean.

Which has been on my mind recently. I have a girlfriend if you can believe it. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, she's more beautiful than Aphrodite herself to me, not that I'd tell Aphrodite that, of course. A girl that I've had a crush on since I first met her six years ago. We had a... rough start, but we've been together over two years now. Now, I've never been much of a 'planning ahead' kind of guy, that's Annabeth's department, but when it comes to Annabeth I have my entire life planned out; Move in together at Camp before college in New Rome, get engaged when the time is right, never mind when or where, carry the ring at all times just in case. Marry after college, small event, only close friends and families. On the beach outside of Camp, of course, kiss at sundown. Then, when we're in a stable enough place, have kids. Only one at first, so that we can get the hang of the whole parenthood thing, but more to follow. At least one. A girl and a boy preferably. My mom wants a girl so that she can have a granddaughter. I don't disappoint my mom, if it takes seven kids we'll have a girl.

But here's the thing, I haven't exactly run this past Annabeth. Yeah, I've basically told her that I want to be with her for the rest of my life when I asked her to move in with me, more on that later, but I've had these thoughts since we've started dating and I never told her because I was worried that she'd think I was thinking too far ahead. But we've been together for slightly over two years and been through Tartarus together, meaning that _nothing_ on or below Olympus would keep me away from her. So that's why I woke her up early this morning to talk before our daily events at Camp. Something that I'd normally _never_ do, mind you, so I made sure to have coffee ready at our dining room table. _Our_ dining room, it's always nice saying that. We live together in one of the newly built apartments modeled off the ones in New Rome. My idea, by the way. Annabeth was so jealous that she didn't come up with it.

Annabeth is adorable in the morning, she always has a bedhead, her long blonde hair all over the place. I think it's cute. She just grumbled at me and asked for coffee. We sat down and were about to have one of the most important conversations of our lives when the doorbell rang.

Nothing ever turns out how I plan it. Story of my life.

Long story short I was asked to go on a mission by Chiron to investigate some strange monster sightings in Wyoming. Which is why I am now slowly trudging through a frosty forest in Wyoming at dawn in early winter instead of sleeping in the same, _warm_ bed as my girlfriend. _Just_ sleeping, mind you. We've already pissed of Hera, the Goddess of Marriage enough, we've decided to wait until we're married.

So this where I tie in my earlier comment about almost being shot in the chest by an arrow. Sorry, ADHD, plus I've been out here for over a week and I miss my bed at Camp, I'm tired. And _very_ cold. Here's how it happened:

I was walking through several inches of snow in some dense brush in the middle of a Wyoming forest looking for signs of a monster. Chiron had heard reports about a small mining town being attacked by what they claimed to be a 'monster'. We were skeptical, of course. Monsters don't just make themselves seen to regular humans, nor do they attack them, usually. But Chiron was asked to look into it so naturally, he asked me to do it. Look, I've had my fill of monsters, but when Chiron told me that people were getting attacked, I had to help. It wasn't an official quest, so Chiron said I had to go alone, I'd attract less attention that way. He also said that he trusted that I'd be able to handle whatever I ran into by myself, me being given the Title 'Demigod of Storms and Earthquakes' by Zeus and all. Another long story, but one day some younger Titans decided to attack the original Olympus for whatever reason, we never really figured out why. Since the gods couldn't leave the U.S they asked us to do it, of course. So Annabeth and I lead a large number of Campers to Greece to fight off the Titans. Needless to say we were no match for them without help. So my dad, against the explicit orders of Zeus, lended me his Trident to give me the power to fight the Titans one on one. I can't remember exactly what happened, because as soon as I touched the Trident my mind went fuzzy, but Annabeth said, and I quote "The earth shook as if Gaea did a belly flop and then a hurricane the size of Australia itself appeared and washed the Titans and monsters out to sea." She claims it was not an exaggeration. She also said later that while terrifying, I looked really hot. Which I'll take.

So to finish off this little tangent and get back to my story, Zeus was pissed that I used a godly weapon but had to spare my life since I saved their butts, again. He offered me Immortality for the third time, which I turned down, he wasn't happy as you would expect. Eventually they decided to give me a Title, 'Demigod of Storms and Earthquakes' as thanks. I didn't get it at first, but I was told that I was the first demigod to earn a Title like this. Not only did I earn an honorary Title, my father granted me Domain over Storms and Earthquakes, two things that he had Domain over. He also had Hephaestus craft me my own Trident that would increase my control over water that I am able to store on a Trident pendant on my necklace next to my Camp beads. So quite literally I was equal to or even above some minor gods in power. I as well received random offerings from people and spirits who wished for storms to stop. That one took some getting used to, I'd wake up with burnt food offerings on my dining table. I was told later that it was _Artemis_ that eventually persuaded Zeus to not disintegrate me on the spot and give me a Title. She's always seemed like a daddy's girl to me, the only god who can make him do whatever she wants. I wouldn't tell that to her face if I were you. Speaking of Artemis, she just shot an arrow at my chest.

I noticed the faintest of sounds coming from some bushes to my right and was about to raise my sword when an arrow burst through the snow covered leaves straight at me. Without even realizing how I did it, I managed to catch the arrow in my left hand a few inches in front of my chest.

' _Thank you Apollo Cabin for teaching me that.'_ I thanked inwardly, ready to attack but when a twelve year old girl dressed in silver tunic and black leggings burst out of the white bushes and started yelling at me, I lowered my sword.

"How in Tartarus did you catch my arrow so-oh, Perseus," She seemed to finally recognize me through the falling snow and trees. Her voice turned more kind, or at least as kind as it gets. "I was unaware that it was you. I apologize for my outburst."

I shook off the shock and bowed my head slightly to her. Best to not tick her off so early in the morning. "It is okay, Lady Artemis. But um… why did you shoot an arrow at me, if you don't mind me asking?" I held up the arrow to her, she walked over and took it from my hand before putting it back in her quiver. She looked at me all over, as if trying to figure me out.

"How did you manage to catch my arrow, Perseus?" She demanded but in an unaggressive way.

I shrugged, scratching the back of my neck nervously. "I've been training with some of the Apollo kids, Luis has been trying to show me how to do it for weeks. But I've never managed to do it before."

Artemis studied me before answering. "Well your life was never on the line before." She nodded to herself, thinking and her bow disappeared in a light silver glow. "Well, be that as it may, it is a very impressive feat to catch one of my arrows."

This surprised me, did Artemis just… _compliment_ me? "...Um, thanks."

She waved it off. "Think nothing of it. I would expect nothing less of someone who has been given a Title as well as had the Curse of Achilles fully restored. It took some time after it was washed away from Roman water, but it finally returned back to you. A Curse like that cannot be removed so easily."

"You heard about that?" I asked abruptly, then I caught myself. "Sorry, I mean I didn't expect you to know-"

"Of course I know." She interrupted me. "I make it my business to keep an eye on powerful beings in my Wilds. And you, Perseus Jackson, with your abilities, training, Title as well as the Curse of Achilles, _are_. Very powerful indeed." She seemed to be saying it more to herself than to me, in my opinion. I decided to not say anything about it.

Again, another compliment. Today was a weird day. I looked around us but didn't see anyone. "Are your Hunters with you?" I asked. I might be able to say hi to Thalia.

The short goddess shook her head. "No, I am travelling alone at the moment. On the hunt for a Monster that was reported to be living around here."

"Really?" I asked. "Me too. Chiron sent me out here to figure out what it is and stop it if need be."

Her face was blank so I couldn't read it but I could tell she was thinking. "I have no clue as to what the Monster is yet, but it has proven itself to be elusive to track. As well as dangerous, I pulled my Hunters off the Hunt after it gravely injured several of them."

"Really?" I asked worriedly. "Is Thalia-"

She raised a hand to calm me. "Do not fear, young hero, Thalia is unharmed. My Hunters will be fine as well, they will heal soon enough."

"Good." I said, letting out a visible breath in the freezing air. "Well then we better track down this monster before it hurts anyone else. If it can take on your Hunters then the Mortals around here are in danger."

"We?" She asked skeptically, her thin eyebrow raised.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, if this Monster is as bad as you say it is, then you'll need all the help you can get-" I put my hand over my mouth, what the _Hades_ did I just say? Did I _want_ to die? "I'm sorry, Lady Artemis, I did not mean to-"

She interrupted me again with a raised hand. "Be thankful that I think highly of you, Perseus Jackson." I swear I saw her hide a smirk but I dismissed it. "I would punish any other male for that by turning him into a Jackalope."

I had no reply for that that wouldn't get me turned into a Jackalope. "Uh…"

Artemis ignored my inability to form a basic sentence and pulled a small silver whistle from her bag, blew on it and after a few seconds when nothing happened, grumbled to herself. "Lady Artemis?" I asked hesitantly, curious what the problem was. She looked up to me as she put the whistle back in her bag.

"My Golden Reindeer refuse to come to me. So I am without my Chariot, so I must travel on foot." She nodded to me and began to turn away. "My apologies, Demigod of Storms and Earthquakes, but I have far to travel and you could not keep up with me, in this terrain especially."

She managed to take a few steps before I called out to her. "We can take my car."

This made the goddess stop and do a double take. She gave me a slightly confused face. I found it hilarious on her normally serious face but didn't comment on it. "Pardon?"

I held up my car keys. "My pegasi, Blackjack, won't come to me either. I drove here." I pointed back where I came from. "My car is just a few minutes walk back to the road. We can take the road further into the woods. According to the map it goes for awhile. Besides, it's below freezing right now… my car has a heater and blankets. We can warm up on the way."

She gave me the look like she wasn't sure whether or not I was telling a joke. "Are you offering to give _me_ , a goddess, a ride so that I don't have to run through the snow?"

' _Well now that you say it aloud, it does sound stupid.'_

"It is very generous of you. I will accept your offer." She spoke evenly.

' _Well I didn't see that coming.'_ I mentally shook my head and decided to answer out loud this time. "Uh, ok, sure. Yeah, no problem."

Real smooth, Percy.

We started to head back to where I left my car. It was a little awkward walking in silence like that so I asked her a question. "Do you have any idea why Blackjack or your Reindeer won't come to us?"

The goddess hummed to herself, with my height advantage I could see snow accumulating on her drawn hood. "I believe that the presence of whatever monster we are hunting is scaring them off. Though," She raised her hand to her chin in thought. "My Reindeer don't normally fear other monsters like this. Whatever we are hunting must be enormously powerful."

"Sounds like fun." I joked. She frowned at me, apparently it was the wrong thing to say.

"You know as well as I do how powerful some beings can be, Perseus." She surveyed the woods around us as we walked. Her eyes tracked every falling leaf and her ears followed every sound around us in the blank, colorless landscape. "The only reason why I am allowing you to travel with me is because I have faith in your abilities. I ordered my Hunters to leave because of the danger. Prove to me that you are worthy of my faith."

My head lowered a little. "Yes ma'am."

"Lovely." She nodded. "A fair amount of respect is necessary to stand _beside_ me." She stopped walking and looked right at me, her voice turned serious and I heard her stress ' _beside'_. "I hold you in high regard, male or not. You have proven to me that you can be trusted and honorable. You took the weight of the sky from me, faced off Titans and giants alone. An incredibly impressive feat. I have seen you perform truly olympian tasks…"

She took a step closer, using her hand to slightly raise my chin. I found myself looking directly into her silver eyes. They were frightening and kind at the same time. "So do not turn into a spineless man." My eyes widened, a smile formed at the corner of her mouth. "Show me the respect I deserve, but don't turn into a pushover and a weakling. You will make me look foolish for endorsing you."

She then immediately turned back to where we were heading and started walking away. Leaving me a confused mess. After a few seconds I caught back up to her. I didn't want to say anything, but she was going the wrong way back to my car. When I caught back up she followed my lead without a word and walked besides me like nothing happened.

The silence was killing me. I wanted to ask something but I had no idea what game she was playing. As if she read my mind she spoke up.

"You may speak freely, Perseus. You no longer need my permission. You haven't for many years." It still shocked me that this twelve year old girl walking besides me in the woods was a goddess. It definitely took some getting used to.

"I uh, so you want me to act normal around you?" I asked hesitantly.

"If you can." She said smoothly.

I had to do a double take to make sure I heard that right. "Wait, did you just make a joke?" I asked, laughing. "I never knew you could."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I most assuredly _did not_." She sounded slightly affronted. "I do not _joke_. I am a goddess of Olympus."

I held up my hands in surrender. "Okay okay, no jokes. Got it." She looked like she was going to say something else but thankfully that's when we reached my car. She looked disapprovingly at it as I brushed off the fresh snow on my door with my coat sleeve.

"...Is there a problem, Lady Artemis?" I asked as I unlocked the doors and opened my own. I paused for a second and looked at her as she stood outside the passenger door. "What, do you want me to open the door for you? Is that proper protocol for this type of thing? I've never given a goddess a ride before."

She gave me a look like I was an idiot before promptly opening the door herself and throwing my coffee thermos and backpack into the backseat. I got into the car as well and started up the engine, turning on the heat immediately. "I have never ridden inside of a mortal vehicle before. Only the magical ones that my idiot brother drives around in." She said.

I put on my seatbelt and was about to tell her to do the same before remembering who this was. A literal goddess, she'd be fine. I started to slowly drive down the dirt road. "Well this is one hundred percent mortal technology, no fancy flying or anything."

She looked around the car as if she were evaluating it. I noticed how her eyes caught the coffee spill on the dashboard, the tear in the seat, my supplies and sleeping bag thrown haphazardly into my back seats. She sniffed once. "Have you been sleeping in here?"

Apparently my car smelled too, just peachy. "Uh, yeah. I've been out here for over a week. Living out of my car the entire time. It's _way_ too cold to sleep outside in this snow." I grabbed a plastic water bottle off the dashboard and threw it into the back. "Sorry about the mess."

She gave the car one last glance over before returning her eyes to the front. "It is alright. All things considered, it is not too messy." Her eyes caught sight of a picture taped to my center console. It was of Annabeth and I at the beach celebrating my last birthday. "I assume that you and Annabeth are still together?" She asked evenly.

I glanced at the picture before returning my eyes to the winding road. I smiled. "Yeah, still happily together after two years."

She nodded. "Good. I would not be able to assure your safety if you were to hurt her. Be it from her mother, her hands, or my own." She clenched her fist in demonstration.

I didn't know what to say to that but I gave it my best shot. "...Well, I'd never do anything to hurt her." I assured her. "Annabeth is the best thing that's ever happened to me. There's no way in _Hades_ that I'd ever risk losing her."

She nodded gently. "That is wise. Annabeth is one of the most extraordinary females I have ever met."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes." She said as her eyes scanned trees around us. It was still several hours to the next point on our map. "As you know I asked her to join my Hunters but she turned down my offer."

"I remember."

"..." She seemed like she was going to say something before thinking it over in her head. She looked over me as if I were a puzzle to solve. She didn't speak up for another minute. "...I would trust no other male… but with you…" She seemed like she was having trouble putting her thoughts into words. "I feel that you would honor her. Despite her being an adult she is still a maiden, meaning she is under my protection. I would do anything in my power to protect them and do what is best for them, however…"

After she didn't say anything for a few seconds I gave her a cautious look. "However?" I asked.

"...However I feel that it would be best for her to be with you." She looked me dead in the eyes with her piercing orbs. "If you were to ask for her hand in marriage I would give you my blessing as the goddess of Maidens." She ended with what I assume was a kind smile, however it was unexpected so I didn't know what to think.

It was silent in the car for a solid minute as I tried to process what I just heard. I didn't know what to say or to think. "Uh, um… thanks-I mean, we haven't talked much about getting married but thank you for giving me your blessing." I smiled in thanks. But something confused me. "I didn't know you gave out blessings for that. I thought that Hera-"

"Hera is the goddess of Marriage, yes, but since I am the goddess of Maidens I also look after young women who are going to be married." She interrupted me. Then she shrugged and leaned back into the seat, finally relaxing after constantly surveying the trees around us as we drove. "But if you were to propose to Annabeth then you would need more than my blessing, of course."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'd need to ask her dad first. Same as with her mom."

"More than that." She started as she brought her travel bag onto her lap and started digging in it. She pulled out a metal water bottle and drank from it. "As a demigod your marriage would be more complicated than a mortal one."

"How do you mean?" I asked. "Because both of our parents are gods?"

She nodded, putting the water bottle back in her bag and reaching to put it in the back with my stuff. "Yes. Your marriage would entail uniting two families. Poseidon and Athena, both of whom have had a rivalry for millennia. A child of Poseidon has _never_ married a child of Athena. I am unaware if two of their children have ever even _gotten along_ before. If you were to ask Annabeth to marry you then you would need to convince Athena and Poseidon to put aside their differences and unite their families."

"But aren't they already a family?" I asked. "Athena is Poseidon's niece, right? What kind of difference would it really make? I mean, we're just mortals. We'll die before the gods even blink. What's the big deal?"

She shook her head. "You forget that we gods must play by ancient laws. Marriage, for us, at least, is more definite than with you mortals." She eyed a doe that stood at the edge of the road as we drove past. "Take my father and Hera for example. They are brother and sister, family, but once they married they became something different. Their fates intertwined, became one. Marriage is sacred for us, even if most of us seem to forget that." She mumbled, probably referring to Zeus' many illegitimate children, including herself. "They united, in the eyes of the Fates, they are one. If you were to marry Annabeth then your house and hers would come together. Your parents would have to put aside their childish rivalry and unite."

"...And I'm guessing some gods won't like that?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes. My father would think of it as them uniting against him. He is already suspicious of every god on the council. Your father and Athena uniting would just further his paranoia."

I was quiet for a few minutes as I took all this in. I figured that talking Athena into letting me marry Annabeth would be hard, but I didn't realize it came with a lot of other problems as well. Would my dad be willing to let me marry Annabeth? Most likely, he really liked her and always asked how she was doing whenever we saw each other. But Athena on the other hand… would _not_ be as easy. She didn't really like me to begin with, not even taking into account who my dad is. I honestly had no idea if she _would_ agree.

"There is more to it, actually." Artemis said out of the blue as I was still thinking. "You would also have to ask Aphrodite to give you her blessing as well. She will read your hearts and see if you really love each other." She then tilted her head in thought, touching one finger to her chin in thought. "But I assume that she would give you her blessing, she seems to like your love life. "Full of wonderful drama" as she put it when I last saw her.."

I raised my brow. "You talk to Aphrodite about my love life?" I asked, shocked.

"Pffft!" She made an unladylike noise and ended with a chuckle. " _I do not_ discuss your love life. Nor do I have much interest in it besides making sure that Annabeth is treated correctly. _Aphrodite_ ," She said the goddess of Love's name like she recently annoyed her. "Came to my Hunters to see a daughter of hers and ended up retelling your entire "love life" to me. It was nauseating."

"I-well I always knew she-wait." I said, running what she said back in my head. "You said visiting a daughter of hers? One of your Hunters is a daughter of Aphrodite?"

"Yes." She nodded, trying her best to angle the sun visor in a way that blocked the morning sun that currently shown into her eyes. But thanks to her short stature she wasn't tall enough for the visor to block the sun from getting into her eyes. She grumbled under her breath. "Helen, one of my newest Hunters. However, she refused to see her mother, they… don't exactly see eye to eye on things, as you would imagine. So Aphrodite decided to talk to me instead, about _you_."

I didn't know what to say to that.

"A lot of the gods talk about you." She said offhandedly.

"Really?" I asked. "Like who?"

"Aphrodite, she's fallen in love with your love life. Says it is the "best tragic love story in history"." That didn't really fill me with confidence. She continued. "My brother, Apollo, claims that you two are "bros"." She said while doing air quotes. "He won't stop talking about how you saved him from being punished by our father."

"I told him that that wasn't a big deal. He kept trying to pay me back in favors. It wasn't his fault for what happened anyway. Even Zeus had to admit it, it took a while, of course, but he did." I said slowing my speed as I went around a sharp turn to not fall into the creek that was running along the road.

"You understate, Perseus." She replied. "Getting my father to admit wrong is a nearly impossible task. Almost no god can get my father to do that."

"You can," I added. "He seems to listen to you. You got him to not kill me, like, three plus times."

She shrugged. "My father has always had a soft spot for me. Thinking of me as some helpless child in need of his protection."

"And yet he trusts you with hunting down the strongest monsters in the world." I countered.

"True," She admitted. "I am still young, compared to other gods. So maybe he still thinks of me as his _little girl_." From the way she said it she didn't sound too happy to be considered a child.

"How old are you?" I asked, before instantly regretting it. If Annabeth were here she would've smacked me upside the head.

"4,617." She answered quickly. "Nothing compared to Aphrodite, believe me." She smiled. "The old hag still acts like she's a young woman."

"You don't look a day over 3,000 to me." I said with a laugh.

I barely caught her smile. "You flatter me, Perseus. Unnecessary and dangerous, though appreciated."

"Well I-" Suddenly she shifted in her seat and looked out her window.

"Stop the vehicle! I sense monsters nearby." Before I fully came to a stop she jetted out of the car into the almost knee high snow, her bow raised and hid behind the nearest tree.

I turned off the car, grabbed my bag and made my way next to her behind the tree on her left. From my position I couldn't see anything but I could hear what sounded like something eating. I hoped it wasn't one of the residents of the small town we just passed. Artemis' eyes met mine and she seemed to communicate wordlessly to me. She told me to get ready.

I nodded my head slowly as I uncapped Riptide. She held up her hand telling me to wait as she slowly inched her way around the tree, her silver bow drawn. A second later I heard something big, loud, and angry running at me from my left. I pivoted to see a large troll charging at me through the trees, swinging a Stop Sign as a club. I stood, turning my head to my right to see Artemis pointing her bow right at my face.

"Duck, Perseus!" She cried as she let her arrow fly at the monster. I luckily managed to duck just in time to feel the arrow brush past my unkempt hair.

'Flit. Flit. Flit. Flit. Flit.' The goddess of the Hunt unleashed a barrage of arrows into the troll, disintegrating it on the spot. She wasn't given a second to think, however, when the troll that was in front of us ran at her, swinging his massive fists into the tree in front of her.

"Lady Artemis!" I yelled, grabbing her shoulders to throw her out of the path of the troll's fists. We landed on the ground, my hand still on her shoulder. I blinked once before coming to my senses and removing my hand.

"I'm sorry." I apologized as we rolled backwards to avoid the troll's foot that landed where we were not a second before.

Artemis raised her bow once more. "No need, Perseus." She let loose another barrage of arrows, killing the troll instantly. "Now fight!"

"That I can do." I raised my sword just in time for an entire horde of trolls to burst out of the trees. They were dressed more for a frat party instead of killing mortals in my opinion, with beer bottles tied around their necks and their assortment of weapons that resembled pool cues and pool umbrellas instead of actual weapons. But they were still just as deadly regardless.

Lady Artemis let her bow disappear in a silver glow as she unsheathed her twin silver hunting blades, running at the nearest troll and quickly dispatching it with a wild gleam in her eye. I didn't have much time to watch her however, as I had to dodge a small charcoal grill that was thrown at me by a troll wearing the largest hawaiian shirt I've ever seen. Guess these guys _were_ at a party before this.

I spun Riptide in a large arc around my body to deflect and deter the six trolls that ran at me. When they caught sight of the leaf-shaped celestial bronze sword some of them winced and took a few steps back.

"It's Perseus!" One yelled.

"The slayer of Kronos!" A troll with a tiki torch yelled.

"The Demigod of Storms and Earthquakes!" A female troll cried out.

"The guardian of Mount Olympus!" A terrified voice shouted.

"Mortal champion of the gods!"

I couldn't help it, I smirked slightly. Raising my sword quickly, causing them to gasp and step back in fear. "Now come on, don't let that stop you…" I pointed my sword at a very fat troll. "It's either you fight me or Lady Artemis." I said gesturing to the goddess that was currently jumping from the shoulders of several trolls as she used her twin knives to slit their throats.

The trolls didn't really seem very motivated to attack either of us. So I charged them with a yell. "Come on then!" I met the first troll before he could realize that he should've stayed at his party. He turned to dust just as the others got up the courage to attack me.

One troll with a necklace of license plates threw a crude wooden spear at me that I easily deflected with Riptide. He pulled out his club but with a lightning fast motion of my arms he suddenly became left handed, then no handed for the remaining three seconds he was alive before he burst into dust. The third troll was on me in a second, swinging his fists wildly. I managed to block his fist with the flat side of Riptide, before using all of my strength to push the smelly troll back onto his butt. A quick flick of my wrist later and he turned to dust like his brothers.

The remaining three trolls shuffled backwards to get away from me as I slowly walked towards them. "The just don't make monsters like they used to…" I muttered to myself. I was looking towards a good fight but these trolls were no threat to me. Even Lady Artemis was taking her time killing them. I could tell by the wild bursts of laughter and glee that I heard from her as she easily dodged and countered the trolls with ease.

"Why did _we_ have to run into _Perseus_?" One complained to his brothers, saying my name like a slur.

"We left our party for this?" Asked another with a massive beer belly. "I don't want to go back to Tartarus."

"I _knew_ the ogres would get the soft gig." Muttered the shortest one. I could hear the fear in his voice. "They get to have fun and hunt that mortal while we get killed by the Demigod of Storms!"

" _And Earthquakes_." I corrected him, shaking my head in mock disappointment. "Don't forget the _Earthquakes_."

"My bad," The smallest troll corrected himself. "And-"

I interrupted him however, when I used the momentary distraction to swiftly dispatch the two larger trolls with Riptide. I slammed into the smallest troll with my shoulder, sending him flying back a few yards into a large tree, causing snow to fall on his head from the limbs above. I placed Riptide at his throat, wordlessly commanding him to stay down.

"Now," I took a breath. I wasn't tired by any means, but I thought it'd sound cool with a pause. I was right. "Tell me about this "soft gig" the ogres are on. As well as this mortal you say they're hunting."

"I-I can't say!" He cried. "They'll kill me!"

"And what do you think I'll do to you if you don't tell me?" I asked him, pressing Riptide onto his skin a little harder. His eyes widened even more.

"No please, don't!" He begged.

"Then tell me what I want to know." I said calmly. "We can either do this the easy way or the hard way…"

"Don't send me to Tartarus!" He begged. "You have no idea what it's like down there!"

My mood dropped, as did my voice. "Actually I do." I paused, trying my best to _not_ feel sorry for a monster. Too distracted to see the small troll pull a blade from his belt and swing it at my side before it was too late. I wasn't fast enough to block it as I watched the serrated knife in slow motion as it swept closer to my side. I wasn't worried though, because as soon as the blade went through my coat and made contact with my skin it shattered in the troll's hand.

For a good thirty seconds the troll only laid there, his eyes wide, hand trembling and heart rate increasing. His eyes finally moved from where his blade shattered against my skin and up to meet my eyes. His eyes were filled by so much fear that I was worried that he might pee himself.

"...What _are_ you?" His gruff voice was barely a whisper, I only caught it because if my improved demigod senses. His body was shaking like he was about to fall over any second.

"...Just a demigod doing his duty… Sorry-" I then flicked my wrist and Riptide sliced through the troll's throat like butter. His headless body burst into shining dust as his remains scattered in the cool, icy wind.

I stood there looking at the wooden club that lay in the falling snow. A trophy from slaying the monster. Back in the day I would take the trophy but I just left it. I didn't care about the trophies anymore.

"You didn't get any information out of him." Lady Artemis' sudden voice brought me back to reality. I turned around to see her standing calmly behind me, wiping the troll blood off of her daggers in the snow. She looked up to me. "You could have interrogated them for information."

"He wouldn't have talked." I answered shortly.

She raised her brow. "How are you so sure?"

"I could see it in his eyes. He was afraid of me, but more afraid of whatever was ordering him to attack the mortals around here."

The goddess of the Hunt studied me for several seconds, her eyes not leaving my face. It kinda freaked me out, to be honest. Her eyes were a piercing silver that seemed to bore into my soul. Finally, she spoke.

"I trust your words." She stated evenly. "Now, let's get back to your vehicle and on our way. We still have a good distance to travel before we reach the epicenter of the Monster attacks."

"Okay," I said, putting Riptide back in my pocket. I rubbed my hands together to get back some feeling in them. I didn't get wet and cold from the snow thanks to snow being made of water, but my powers did nothing to help protect me from the windchill. "Let's get back to my car and most importantly the heater."

"Agreed." The goddess shivered in her hunting cloak.

oooOooo

We traveled like that for the rest of the day. Slowly driving through the narrow, winding, snow covered forest roads. We patrolled around several of the small towns and dispatched several more small groups of monsters. Nothing to write home about, only more trolls, ogres and hellhounds. None of which offered more information about this mysterious 'mortal' that they were hunting besides that they _really_ didn't like him. We stopped every hour or so to patrol the woods and rivers for monsters, so our progress was slow. The still falling snow didn't help much either. My car wasn't too fond of plowing through it either, Lady Artemis and I had to get out and push my car a few times. If you've ever wondered what one of the strangest things I've ever had to do as a demigod then I'd say having to convince a goddess, Artemis no less, to get out of my warm car and help me push is up there near the top.

We managed to get within three or four hours drive, in these conditions at least, of where the majority of the monster attack were reported, before it started to get dark. Lady Artemis and I had just fought off some monsters and reached my car when she spoke up.

"We should start setting up camp." She said, eyeing the setting sun. "The sun sets quickly in the mountains, especially in the winter." She opened my back door and pulled her travel bag out as well as my sleeping bag. "If we start now we should be able to construct a decent snow shelter that will safeguard us from the elements and cold."

She moved to my trunk where I kept a snow shovel and started to quickly dig a hole in the now knee high snow. I blinked a few times. "Wait, you want us to sleep in the snow?" I asked.

She didn't stop her work. "Normally I would sleep in my enchanted tent, it would keep the elements out. However," She paused to push a big pile of snow out of the way. "Males are not allowed to sleep in my tent." She looked up to me. "Regardless who they are, my apologies."

She paused her work to stare at me as I just stood there watching her work. "Are you just going to stand there and make me do all the work? I thought that you were a gentleman?" She asked. "I could just sleep in my tent and force you to construct your own shelter yourself."

I rubbed my hands together to keep them warm. "Well I was kinda hoping that we could actually go into town and stay in a motel."

She pushed the shovel into the snow, letting it stand there. "A motel?" She asked.

"Yeah," I shivered. "I've been living out of my car for over a week. I'm cold, it's only going to get colder-"

"It will drop thirty seven degrees tonight." She helpfully added.

"See!" I said, waving my hands at the snow shelter she was constructing. "It's going to be unbearable out here tonight. You might be able stand the cold as a goddess but I'm just a mortal. A mortal that will freeze to death out in this snow."

She nodded. "You are correct, your mortal body would be at risk in this cold. I am able to withstand it, even though I still _feel_ the cold." She looked up at the sky, at what, I had no idea. But as a goddess connected to the Wilds I assumed it was important. "It will also snow several more feet tonight. We very well might get snowed in if we camp out here tonight."

"That furthers my point!" I cried. "I may not get cold from the snow itself but I'd freeze to death if I tried to sleep outside while the biggest snowstorm of the century is going on."

She raised her gloved hand to her chin in thought. "If you were one of my hunters than we would just huddle together and use our body heat to keep each other warm in the night. That is what we have to do sometimes." I barely noticed her eyes widen in the blizzard that was slowly building up. She seemed to realize the implications of her statement. "But I would _never_ perform such an act with a _male_." Her voice was a little sharp before her eyes met mine and she realized her tone. "I meant no disrespect, Perseus, but I-"

"I know." I interrupted her. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure-" She started to press.

"I'm fine," I waived off. "You're a maiden goddess, you wouldn't sleep next to a male like that. I understand." I rubbed my hands together again to get some feeling back into them. "Besides, I'd never do that to Annabeth. She might understand the situation and cut me some slack because of who you are, but I wouldn't be comfortable doing it."

I turned around and slowly made my way to my door and started hastily throwing everything in my backseat. "Let's just get out of this cold. We can talk about it when we're in a nice _warm_ motel with coffee, food and hot showers."

I finished putting everything away and looked back to find the goddess right behind me, gazing into my eyes. I stumbled back a little into my car door, surprised to see her right behind me. She completely ignored my fright and looked me over like she was trying to figure me out. She wore a very thoughtful expression.

"You are a very strange man, Perseus…" She muttered, almost lost in thought. "I am used to males being very disrespectful and vulgar, though… I sense none of that in you…"

"Uh, thanks…?"

She looked right in my eyes. "Though as a maiden goddess I will require my own room when we reach the inn." She stepped away and made her way to the passenger seat. "That is my only condition."

I stood there stupidly for a few seconds before getting into the car and turning on the heat. "Works for me," I said, blowing warm air into my cupped hands. "I should be able to afford two rooms. Chiron gave me some money for the trip." I explained. I saw her shivering next to me so I reached into the back and brought up a thick blanket and handed it to Artemis. "Here, you can borrow this until we get to the motel."

She gave me a slight shocked look but took the blanket nonetheless. "Thank you, Perseus."

"No problem." I waived off. "You may be a goddess but you don't have to sit there silently while you're freezing. Just ask and I'll turn up the heat even more." I gestured to my backpack behind us. "I might still have some coffee in my thermos, help yourself."

The goddess was silent as she sat there and I guess thought about I was doing to her. I didn't see it as a big deal, she was cold, so I gave her a blanket. It doesn't matter to me if she's a goddess or not, she's still my friend, well… sorta. We might not be as close as I am with Hermes or Apollo but she's stopped threatening to end my life, so I'll take that as progress. Some of the Olympians still did that.

I turned my head to her briefly before returning it to the road. "So, you're the navigator for this trip, where are we heading?"

She picked up the map that we had been using all day. "There should be a small town up ahead, we can stay there for the night. It is a little out of our way but we can easily make up the difference by getting up an hour before dawn-"

"Nuh uh," I said adamantly, shaking my head. "I've been up before dawn all week. You might be the goddess of the dawn but we don't exactly get along. We're going to be sleeping in nice, _warm_ beds. I'm sleeping in."

"I am not the goddess of the dawn," She corrected. "Mortals believed that I was for some time, but I am just affiliated with it. Which caused the confusion in my opinion. The Domain over the Dawn belongs to a more ancient being that I am unaware of."

I shrugged. "I stand corrected, though my point still stands."

She gave me a hard look before sighing. "Fine. We will sleep in."

"Yes!" I gave a small fistpump. "Let's just hope that this place serves breakfast too, I haven't had a decent warm meal since I've been out here."

" _Males_." She muttered under her breath, though loud enough for me to hear. "You would never make it as one of my hunters."

I gave a mock hurt sound. "Hey, _I_ would like to think that I'd make a good hunter."

She laughed, very loudly. She calmed down after a few seconds when she noticed my smile drop. "I meant no disrespect, Perseus." She said, wiping a tear away with a finger. "I believe that you possess all of the necessary qualities that my hunters do besides two."

I raised my brow, careful to keep my eyes on the road in the deep snow. "And what might those be?" I asked.

"You are not female." She said quickly. "That is the biggest reason why you are not one of my hunters."

I blinked. Well, she had me there. "What's the other one?"

"You could not hit an archery target to save your life." She said evenly.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ bad anymore." I argued in a mock hurt tone, but I was really joking. "I've been practicing!"

"Well your practice needs more practice." She said with a chuckle.

"Yeah yeah yeah, make fun of the guy _not_ bestowed with archery talent." I grumbled in jest. "Make him feel bad."

We just made it to the outskirts of the small, snow covered town and were about to head to the nearest motel when the telltale red and blue flashing lights shown behind me. I was getting pulled over by a cop. When I had my backseat full of camping and hunting supplies, including an extra dagger and shield, a sack of gold drachma and a goddess in a twelve year old form dressed in a silver hunting cloak and tunic that had monster blood stained on it.

Yeah, this wasn't going to go well.

I pulled over as soon as I could, best not tick the guy off. Artemis gave me a confused look. "What is going on?" She asked. "What do those lights mean?"

"It means I've been pulled over by a cop." I answered. The police car stopped behind me and the door opened.

"This 'cop' would be the local law enforcement, correct?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Just follow my lead and stay quiet unless he asks you a direct question. I've dealt with plenty of cops in my life."

The goddess unsheathed her hunting dagger. "Could we not just overpower him?"

"Are you crazy?" I yelled, taking the dagger from her hand and throwing it into the back just as the officer reached my window and knocked. "You'll get us arrested. Just don't kill anyone, okay?"

"Fine." She grumbled a little grumpily as I opened my window.

"Is there a problem, officer?"

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Thanks so much for reading if you made it this far. This is my first PJ story so I hope I did Percy and Artemis justice. This is a three part story so in the next one we'll see them get pulled over and make it to the motel where they'll get to talk and spend some time together and** _ **slowly**_ **become friends.**

 **This is a friendship story, so neither Percy nor Artemis will develop feelings for the other besides a close friendship, like I said. If you took their interactions as something different than that was not my intention. Sorry. Maybe if I get requests I'll write a true Pertemis romance story. Maybe.**

 **Let me know how you liked this prequel story with a Review. More details about the story this one proceeds will be revealed more in the next chapters.**

 **Also, before I go, I have a question:**

" **Who is your godly parent and what would your special abilities be?"**

 **If you couldn't guess what mine would be then I'd be shocked. He's my username and profile picture for gods sake. I've been a fan of Greek mythology and Hephaestus long before I picked up my first Percy Jackson book. I even bought a scale model replica of the Hephaestus statue from Athens that sits in my room before I ever read the first book. I'm interested what you guys have to say so please tell me in a Review or PM.**

 **Thanks again, Hephaestus**


	3. Prequel ch2

Prequel Chapter 2: I Share A Motel Room With A Goddess

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! This is part 2/3 of a prequel story for my upcoming "Champion of Olympus" story. This story doesn't have any action in it, that'll be next chapter, but it does provide a lot of Percy and Artemis conversations and is most of the set up to why Artemis respects Percy in such a way in my story. It also has a VERY IMPORTANT, though short moment towards the end. So still please give it a read.**

 **Okay so Artemis is very OOC from her book form in this chapter, but I think that it's an appropriate outcome for how their friendship would build once they just sat down and had a conversation. Percy is known for being able to befriend almost anyone, so I think it's not too far fetched.**

 **In case you didn't see the end of my last AN I asked who your godly parent would be along with your special abilities. So let me know if you haven't yet. Thanks.**

 **Please go vote for my PJ story on my Poll, right now Naruto is winning and I want to do Champion of Olympus next.**

 **I recently updated my Profile so please go over there and check out my future stories!**

 **Follow me on Twitter, I post updates, polls and post nerdy stuff on there. Same name as on here. I've been talking a lot of PJ stuff recently but my Naruto audience has no idea what I'm talking about, so please follow me on there so I can have PJ fans to talk to.**

* * *

Prequel Chapter 2: I Share A Motel Room With A Goddess

 _We just made it to the outskirts of the small, snow covered town and were about to head to the nearest motel when the telltale red and blue flashing lights shown behind me. I was getting pulled over by a cop. When I had my backseat full of weapons, camping and hunting supplies, including an extra dagger and shield, a sack of gold drachma and a goddess in a twelve year old form dressed in a silver hunting cloak and tunic that had monster blood stained on it._

 _Yeah, this wasn't going to go well._

 _I pulled over as soon as I could, best not tick the guy off. Artemis gave me a confused look. "What is going on?" She asked. "What do those lights mean?"_

" _It means I've been pulled over by a cop." I answered. The police car stopped behind me and the door opened._

" _This 'cop' would be the local law enforcement, correct?"_

" _Yeah," I nodded. "Just follow my lead and stay quiet unless he asks you a direct question. I've dealt with plenty of cops in my life."_

 _The goddess unsheathed her hunting dagger. "Could we not just overpower him?"_

" _Are you crazy?" I yelled, taking the dagger from her hand and throwing it into the back just as the officer reached my window and knocked. "You'll get us arrested. Just don't kill anyone, okay?"_

" _Fine." She grumbled a little grumpily as I opened my window._

" _Is there a problem, officer?"_

The officer, whose face was hard to determine through his beard and winter mask blinked, once, twice, then chuckled. "Ya know, I've never had anyone say that to me when I've pulled them over." He sounded genuinely amused. He looked friendly enough, also harmless, but I was skeptical that he was an actual person, since I've dealt with monsters posing as cops before. But I also figure that if Lady Artemis couldn't tell this guy was a monster then we were screwed. We were probably fine.

"Really?" I asked. "I figured you'd hear it all the time?"

"Nah," He waived off. "Not around 'ere. Most folks 'round 'ere just say "how're you doin', Bob?" when I pull 'em over."

I blinked. "Ok… Uh, why _did_ you pull me over?" I asked politely in a tone I've mastered after dealing with cops for years. "I couldn't have been going too fast-"

He shook his head, the snow falling from his sheriff hat. "Nah, you were goin' just fine for the conditions." He pointed with his thumb further into town. "I don't recognize ya, you 'ere for the ice sculptin' festival?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No, we're just heading through. Camping, you know?" I tried my best to block his view of Lady Artemis with my larger body. It would've raised some questions that I was out here in the snow with a random twelve year old girl that was _way_ too old to be my kid and looked nothing like me so we couldn't lie and say she was my sister. I hoped Lady Artemis thought of something.

It was now when 'Bob' finally seemed to notice another person in the car with me. I guess the small town sheriffs around here weren't like the New York City cops I'm used to. He shown his flashlight past me and onto Lady Artemis. He smiled.

"Evenin' miss." And he actually tipped his hat. "You two picked the wrong weekend for campin', didn't ya?"

"That we did, but I've always liked the woods in the winter."

From next to me I heard an older sounding voice when I expected to hear a child's. I quickly turned my head to see Lady Artemis in an eighteen or nineteen year old form. She was bundled up in a more usual winter parka and hat, still wrapped up in my blanket. She noticed my sudden movement and gave me the briefest look to act natural.

Bob nodded. "I 'ere you, miss. I love the winter season." He turned back to me. "But unfortunately the road out of town in blocked for the time being."

"Why?" I asked. "Because of the snow?"

"Sorta," He started. "There was a landslide that was caused by wha' we _assume_ was ice in the dam outside of town. From what we can tell was that the expandin' ice broke through the dam and the water caused a landslide."

"Well isn't that a dam problem?" I muttered softly, I think Lady Artemis understood me but Bob didn't.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, just said that's a big problem." I tried my best to hide my smirk.

"It is," He nodded. "The town is full for the ice sculptin' festival and a lot of the cars are stranded because of the snow, so the motels in town are fillin' up fast." He pointed to a large brick building down the road. "Ol' Mark should still have some rooms left. But make sure to hurry before we run out of rooms. Tell him Bob sent ya and he should give ya two lovebirds a discount."

I _really_ hoped Lady Artemis didn't fillet this guy for the comment. I tried my best to hide the blush running up my face. I couldn't say that I actually had a girlfriend, that would've raised even more questions. Better to just run with it. Hope Lady Artemis understands I had no choice.

"Thanks, we'll make sure to."

"No problem, lad." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card and handed it to me. I read it over as he spoke. It was a business card for a towing company. "Take this. Many folks have already gotten stuck in the snow. Give Larry a ring if ya two get stuck while you're in town."

"Uh, thanks." I said, shivering as a cold gust blew into the car.

"Well I'll take my leave now, let ya two get inside." Bob nodded to me and tipped his hat to Lady Artemis again. "Ya two take care now."

"You too." I replied as he walked off. I quickly closed the window to stop the heat from escaping anymore. I turned to Lady Artemis. "You surprised me." I said referring to her older form.

She gave me a look like I was an idiot. "Well it would have raised suspicions for you to be traveling with a young child, would it not?" She asked eloquently.

I nodded, pulling back on the road and heading to the motel. "Yeah."

"Well then I do not see the issue." She wore a confused look on her face. She gave her older form a look over like she wasn't sure what she looked like. "Is this form not adequate?"

I shook my head a few times. Trying my best to phrase this correctly, I didn't want her to think I was… uh, meaning something else... _That_ might get me turned into a Jackalope. "No no, your fo- uh, looks are just fine." I gave a cautious look over to her. "I'm just not used to seeing you as… however old you are right now."

"I am eighteen." She replied "I figured that it would be best to be the same age as you."

We pulled into the the motel parking lot and drove around a few times looking for a place to park. "I didn't know that you ever made yourself look eighteen." I said, looking desperately for a spot. "I didn't think you'd make yourself look like an adult."

She uncrossed her legs on the seat and stretched lazily like a large cat. "It is not very often but I have done it before. I have never taken a form over twenty, however. I tend to take on a younger form to fit in with my hunters. But with you I guess that this eighteen year old form would be best. You would prefer it most."

I wisely chose to not make a joke. "Well it'll definitely not make anyone ask questions." I said. "Ha! Finally found a spot."

We parked the car and grabbed our bags from my back seats and headed into the motel. Lady Artemis gave me a strange look when I opened the door for her. Guess she didn't expect it. "My mom raised me to hold open doors for women." I explained. "I'm used to doing it for Annabeth."

The goddess replied with smile and a nod as we reached the front desk. An old man in a flannel shirt, whom I assumed was "ol' Mark", stood behind the front desk. He certainly _was_ old. He looked like he'd die of old age at any second. He gave us a warm smile when we reached the desk.

"Good evenin', kids." He greeted. "You two here for the festival? You missed the first day, but it'll keep going all weekend!" He said it like we should be excited about frozen water statues.

I shook my head and took the lead in the conversation. I figured Lady Artemis wouldn't know what to do. Had she ever even _stayed_ in a motel before? "No, we were just out camping but decided we didn't want to freeze to death in the snow so we came into town."

"That's always a good motivation for me." He nodded with a chuckle. "I'd rather sleep in a warm bed than freeze my bits off."

"Uh… We agree." I said gesturing to Lady Artemis and myself. "Can we please have two rooms? And we might be staying for a few days or at least until the road out of town is cleared." I started to pull out the wallet full of mortal money Chiron gave me for the trip but when I caught Mark's frown I stopped.

"Are you out of rooms?" I asked. "Bob, the sheriff, told us you should have some rooms left."

The wrinkly old man shook his head. "Oh no, We still have rooms but because of the festival and the blizzard almost every room in town is taken." He explained. "Because of that I'm only giving one room per group." He gestured to a man down the hall who was carrying a big suitcase. "I had to ask the last three gentlemen who came in as a group to share a room."

Well dam, I mean damn.

This wasn't going to work at all. I gave a look to Lady Artemis but her face was unreadable to me, figures. She probably wasn't too thrilled. She _definitely_ wouldn't be fine with sharing a room with me, it was her only condition that she'd get her own room. "You can take the room," I told her. Careful to not call her 'Lady Artemis' in front of this random old man. "I can sleep in the Toyota-."

"Nonsense," She waived off, stepping up next to me at the desk. She gave Mark a warm smile. "He has lost his senses from the cold. Is this room furnished with two beds?" She asked.

Old Mark nodded his head. "Yup, each room has two double beds." He answered before handing her a blue slip of paper. "We also serve breakfast out of the lobby from six 'till ten. So make sure you two come down. My Susan's cheddar scrambled eggs are to die for."

"Lovely, we will take one room, please." She looked to me, as I stared back with a blank look on my face. She gestured to ol' Mark with her head, giving me a look. "Pay the man, Perseus, I wish to take a warm shower and change. You can stare blankly in our room."

I blinked a few times before paying for the room, making sure to get a discount, and taking the key from Mark. When we were far enough from anyone I spoke up. "Are you _sure_ about this, Lady Artemis?" I asked in a hushed voice. "You are a goddess, a _maiden_ goddess no less. You shouldn't be sharing a room with me."

"The mortal said that the room contains two beds. We will each take one. I assure you," She stressed. "That even if the room only had a single bed that we would have still taken the room. You would have just slept on the floor." She said in a voice that meant there was no argument on the matter.

We made it to the room in no time and laid our individual bags on our beds. I instantly went to the heater and turned it on to 'max'. Lady Artemis excused herself to take a shower in our adjoining bathroom, she didn't even make a threat on my life if I peeked on her, which surprised me. I _wouldn't_ have anyway, of course, but it was surprising. Once she was out I was about to hop in the shower when my stomach demanded a sacrifice.

'Bllllrrrgggg!'

Silence filled our tiny room for several seconds until Lady Artemis gave me an astonished look as she dried her long auburn hair with a towel. "By the gods… Was that your stomach?"

"...Yeah," I mumbled, a little embarrassed. "I'm hungry. We should get something to eat."

The goddess nodded, removing the fluffy towel from her hair and placing it on her bed. She was wearing some baggy sweatpants and a large, long sleeve sweatshirt hoodie that read 'Train Like A Goddess' and shown a woman wearing a tiara holding a large barbell over her head on the front, but they were noticeably fluffier than normal, like they recently went through a dryer. I guess that if you're a goddess that you could just make your clothes warm. I wish I had that power this whole trip. I've nearly frozen my keister off each night sleeping in my car out in the snow.

I paused and just stared at the goddess in front of me-, _wait_ , let me rephrase that, I was _just_ stunned at her casual outfit, nothing else. And because the gods hate me she had to notice.

"Is there a problem, Perseus?" She asked, putting on a pair of bright pink fluffy socks that she just 'poofed' into existence. _Yeah, this has been a weird day._ I mentally shook my head and went to my bed to where I left my shoes and started putting them on.

"No no, nothing's wrong," I said. "I'm just not used to seeing you…" I gestured to her with both hands in an 'I got nothing' motion. "Like… this."

She looked caught off guard and gave her clothes a once over before realizing what I meant. "Oh, yes. My attire." She sat on her bed, her legs crossed under her. "You would not be used to me in 'mortal' clothing. My hunters make a point to comment on it whenever I don this type of clothing. Aphrodite sure are _Hades_ does." She mumbled the last part.

I finished tying one shoe and started on the other. "How do you like it? The mortal clothing, I mean."

Lady Artemis swept her hand over the soft fabric on her legs, she smiled approvingly. "I must say that they are rather comfortable, not suitable for combat, but very comfortable indeed."

I smiled. "They're _not_ _for_ combat, Lady Artemis." I stood up and she seemed to notice that I was dressed to go out, she stood up as well. "They're sweatpants. They're just for laying around the house and being lazy. And yoga." I added as an afterthought. I gestured to the door. "Do you want to get some food?"

She nodded and her bow appeared in her hand with a silver glow. "It may be difficult to travel in this weather but we will be easily be able to find tracks in the snow." She grabbed her silver parka and put it on. "Come, Perseus. If we hurry we might be able to track something down before it gets too cold-"

I reached over and took the hunting bow from her hands and tossed it on her bed. She wore an astonished face, her mouth agape and eyes wide open. "Nuh uh, we're _not_ hunting our dinner out in the snow. I've been eating out of my backpack all week. I want some real food." I said adamantly.

She just stared from her open hand to her bow that now lay on her bed. She looked up to me like I was a ghost, she stumbled back in shock. "H-how in _Hades_ did you disarm me?" Her voice turned to a shriek towards the last words.

"What?" I asked, giving her a confused look as I headed to the door. "I just grabbed it?" My answer turned into more of a question towards the end.

"You took my bow from my hands." She explained. "You disarmed me… that should be _impossible_ for a mortal to do…" Her eyes focused on me even more. "Besides that… my godly weapon should have disintegrated you on the spot… Astonishing, you are even more powerful than I perceived."

"Uh, thanks?"

She took a step closer to me and gazed deep into my eyes, thank the gods I had a good control over myself, because she was really beautiful. She'd kill me if I said that, and Annabeth wouldn't be happy either, but it's true. I don't have any feelings for her, but when you have a literal goddess standing right in front of you it's hard not to notice. Every goddess is perfection and beauty personified, everytime I ran into Lady Aphrodite I had to watch myself, she had that effect on mortals. Lady Artemis didn't have the same… _effect_ on me, thank gods, but she was still slightly distracting.

Her voice was so soft I could barely hear it. "...No wonder my father fears you so." She seemed to be speaking to herself more than me. She then gave me one more look over before heading to the door. "You would be a very formidable adversary, Perseus. One's blade I would not wish to cross."

My eyes widened slightly, my voice careful. "...How do you mean?" I asked as I headed to the door and held it open for her.

"..." She didn't answer, however. "Let us eat. We will need to keep up our strength up for the upcoming battle."

oooOooo

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oooOooo

We braved the frozen tundra and headed to the nearest diner. Hallelujah, _real_ food. Greasy burgers, fries, _coffee_ , Coke, oh the joys of the American culinary arts! How I missed you!

We entered the diner and sat at the booth closest to the wall and furthest from everyone else. It was as you'd expect if you've ever seen a 50's retro American diner, I'm talking black and white checkered tile floors, white and red striped bar counter with red stools. Bright red and white booths, Coca-cola logos everywhere, fresh pies in a glass display near the cash register, milkshake and malt posters on the walls. On the far brick wall was a large painting of an old gas pump and some classic cars. A real jukebox stood against the rear wall. All in all I thought it was amazing. I gave a quick glimpse to Lady Artemis, she looked a little overwhelmed.

"I was not aware that you mortals still had establishments like this." She said as we sat across from each other at the booth. "I do not remember the last time I saw something this… colorful."

"Probably in the 50's." I joked. "Most restaurants don't look like this anymore."

"Ah." She simply replied as she took in her surroundings. An older waitress in a 50's style dress and _big_ hairdo came over to us, offering us menus, smiling.

"Evenin', kids. Name's Nancy," She drawled. "Wha' can I get started for you two t'day?"

"I'll take some coffee please." I looked to Lady Artemis. "Artemis?"

She gave me a quick glance before smiling up to the older woman. "Same, please."

"Got it." She wrote on a little pad and paper that she pulled from her apron. "Will'ya be needin' a second to figure out what y'want?"

I looked to Lady Artemis and nodded. "Yeah, we might need some time to decide."

"Of course, hun," She nodded with a knowing smile. "I'll give y'two some privacy." She winked to me and walked off, her heels loudly clicking on the tile floor.

Why does everyone assume that we're together? ' _Because it looks like you're on a date.'_ I answered myself. I need to stop that, it's probably not good for my mental health.

Shaking those thoughts away I picked up my menu and was about to start looking through it when Lady Artemis spoke. "So now you're calling me 'Artemis' instead of 'Lady Artemis' now?" She asked. "You do understand that I have killed men for that exact thing?"

My heart rate quickened slightly but I kept my reaction under control. I _really_ doubted that I was in any danger, she _did_ tell me to act normal around her. But I do know that the gods always demand respect. I shot my eyes to her briefly as I looked over the menu. "My apologies, My Lady,... But I figured it best that I didn't call you 'Lady' in front of the waitress. Lady Artemis." I added quickly.

She eyed me with her calculating eyes before nodding to with a slight smile visible at the corner of her lips. "I will allow it, Perseus. You may call me Artemis, your voice saying my name does not fill me with the same disgust as other men. Besides, I do believe that you have earned it." She picked up to the menu like it might bite her, holding it out with two fingers. "You choose our meal, I do not know anything about mortal food, as I have no need for it."

' _My voice saying her name doesn't fill her with disgust?'_ I thought. ' _Well that's good, I think.'_

"Then call me Percy," I said nonchalantly. "I don't like being called 'Perseus', makes me feel old."

She burst into a sudden laugh, it was so melodious and beautiful that it caught my breath. "Makes _you_ feel old?" She managed to stop laughing, asking with a smile on her face. " _I am_ the oldest being in this establishment, as well as the town." She put down the menu and smiled. "Hearing _you_ say you feel old makes _me_ feel old."

I couldn't help but smile. "Then it's good that you can make yourself look as young as you want." I joked. "I ran into a goddess in Tartarus that _looked_ her age. Trust me, you _don't_ want to look a few millennia old. You don't look that bad for being over 4000 years old."

Her thin brow raised dangerously, her tone also turned more serious. She leaned into the table slightly. "Are you attempting to _flirt_ with me, Percy?" Her eyes were a dark silver and the air around me turned cold.

Oh gods, I've finally done it… This is how I die.

I flailed in the booth, my hands flying wildly. "Wait! No no no no no! I didn't- I mean, I wasn't trying to- I'd never flirt with another-"

Her melodious laughter broke me off. It started off quite but it quickly turned almost hysterical. The goddess in front of me was trying her best to calm her laughing but to no avail. She finally managed to cover her mouth with her hand and quell her laughter. Thanks to the sudden outburst, the three old ladies at the other end of the diner looked over in our direction but quickly went back to their conversation. I just stared blankly at the goddess in front of me.

"Your face!" She cried. "Oh your face was priceless!"

The realization dawned on me slowly… she- Artemis, goddess of Olympus, known throughout the world as a hater of men… just messed with me to make me freak out so she could laugh at me. My eyes widened and she seemed to realize that I finally figured out what was going on. "You-you're messing with me, aren't you?" I asked.

She chuckled again, sighing with a smile on her face. "What gave it away, Percy?" She asked innocently.

"...Well I'm neither a charred husk on the floor or a jackalope so there's that." I said hesitantly before thinking of something that made me smile. "And you called me 'Percy'. I knew you'd warm up to me eventually!"

"Curses." She chastised herself. She shrugged once then smiled as I let out a huge sigh of relief. "I do have to admit that that was rather fun, I see why my brother and Hermes pull pranks so."

"That was less a prank and more attempting to give me a heart attack." I deadpanned.

"Oh shush, Percy," She waived off. "I am reveling in the humor of scaring your."

I grabbed the bridge of my nose and let out a long sigh. "Gods… you're as hopeless at jokes as Jason…" I let out another sigh before picking up the menu again. I gave La-Artemis a look. "So, what do you want to eat?" I asked.

The goddess shrugged and leaned back in the booth, trying to find a comfortable spot. She didn't even glance at the menu. "I have no preferences, I do not eat mortal food. Only the meat that I hunt from animals." She waved at the menu in my hands. "You pick something for me, I assume that you have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to mortal food."

I raised a brow. "Are you calling me fat?" I asked jokingly, looking down at my stomach in mock hurt.

The moon goddess rolled her eyes. "I am not approaching the topic if it pertains to your body." She mumbled, resting her chin on her knuckles that stood up from the table. "I _am_ a maiden goddess after all. We are above such things."

This time I rolled my eyes. "And Athena's still popped several hundred kids out her head." I shot back.

Artemis rolled her eyes even more. "Be that as it may, how my sister in law determines maidenhood and how I determine it are two entirely different things." She leaned back in the booth. "She has sworn off natural born children while I have sworn off love entirely. Now are you going to decide on what to eat or not? I thought that you were starving based off the sound of your stomach in our room."

"Yeah yeah yeah," I mumbled, looking over the menu. "I take it you're not vegetarian?" She only glared at me like I insulted her. I swear a tick mark appeared over her eye. "Guess not. Okay, well I think I'll be getting the 'Sunrise Bacon and Egg Burger'. That sound good to you?" I asked looking up from the menu.

"I guess so." She shrugged. "I have never eaten a _burger_ or _bacon_ before. But as they are both meat products I assume that I-"

"Wait what?" I interrupted her, a shocked look on my face. "You've never had a burger before? Or bacon?!"

"No," She simply replied, not understanding my sudden outburst. "I told you Percy that I don't eat mortal food. I only ever eat what I hunt myself-"

"But bacon!" I cried. "What about eggs? You've had eggs before, right?"

She raised one finger to her chin in thought. "My hunters once helped me cook a peacock egg once to spite Hera, but that was back in Greece."

I wore an astonished face, and it only grew more as our conversation continued. "You've never had bacon and eggs for breakfast? How do you function?" I asked confusedly. I pointed to the fires next to the burger on the menu. "You've at least eaten french fries before, right?"

The auburn haired goddess shook her head slightly.

"Oh my gods…" I breathed, my voice turning sorrowful. "You poor, poor girl-" Her brow raised slightly at my words but she let me rant. "-How do you live through life like that? Depriving yourself from such things?!"

"...Wow…" Artemis just stared at me in awe after my rant about fries and bacon. She blinked a few times. "I was unaware that I was missing out on so much."

"Oh don't you mock me." I pointed a finger at her accusingly. "You have no idea what you've been missing all these years."

She just held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay okay, jeez," She shook her head. "You're worse than my brother. Why don't you just order me one of these _burgers_ and _fries_ and I'll decide their value myself? If I find them to be acceptable I will thank you for the revelation."

"You've got yourself a deal!" I said quickly before putting the menu down. "Guess we'll both be ordering the 'Sunrise Bacon and Egg Burger'." I looked around and didn't see our waitress anywhere, only three old ladies at the far end of the restaurant. I shrugged and looked back to La-I mean, Artemis. "Once what's her face-"

"Nancy." The goddess helpfully added.

"-Yeah, her, comes back we'll order." I said. We sat for about a minute, just talking about the monster we were hunting when I caught Artemis not so subtly sniffing. I stopped talking and she just kept doing it, oblivious that I had stopped talking.

"Artemis?" I asked. "Are you okay?" When I didn't get a reply I waved my hand in her face. That seemed to do the trick. So much so that she pulled her head back in surprise and hit it on the booth behind her. She let out a low growl and I subconsciously leaned back in my seat.

"What?" She demanded as she rubbed the back of her head.

"I uh, you were sniffing." I said not at all helpfully. I raised my arm and smelled my armpit. Frowning I gave her a look. "I know I didn't take a shower before we left, but I can't smell that-"

"Don't perform such an act in my presence, Percy." The moon goddess averted her eyes from my 'indecent' act. She shook her head and I caught her slightly roll her eyes, again. "I was _not_ smelling you. Believe me, I have many better things to do than to smell a sweaty man."

"Sweaty?" I asked indignantly. "At least my feet don't smell!" I shot back.

" _What?_ " She cried out, her eyes widening.

' _Oh I shouldn't've said that…'_ I tried my best to rectify the situation before I suddenly grew antlers. "W-wait, let me explain-."

"Yes, _please_ do explain your insulting words to me." Her eyes were narrowed and her jaw set but I was able to tell that she wasn't too upset, like turning me into an animal upset, but she still wasn't too happy.

"I uh…" I tried my best to come up with a clever response. One foolproof enough to get me out of this situation. I've used my cleverness to get out of situations hundreds of times… I'd just have to do it again. Yeah, I got nothing, so I went with the truth. How _stupid_ of me!

"Back at the motel," I started. Her brow raised, waiting to decide my fate. "When you were putting on your socks…"

"Yes?" Her voice dared me to continue.

"...your feet.." I mumbled too low to hear.

"My feet what?" Her tone rose in question.

"They… smelled…" I closed my eyes and braced for whatever she was going to do but after a good fifteen seconds when nothing noticeable happened I dared to open one eye just as she snorted.

"Zoë had been telling me that for years. No other Hunter ever dared to say it to my face." She mused with a smile on her face remembering her fallen friend. She smiled to me as I resumed a normal position in my seat. "I am rather impressed that you told me that. Even Ares dared not to say it to my face."

"Uh… so does this mean you _aren't_ gonna turn me into an animal?" I asked hesitantly. She gave me a familiar look, like I was an idiot as she rolled her eyes.

"If I were to turn you into an animal everytime you insulted me I would have run out of animals already." She deadpanned before turning her tone more amused. "You need not fear me, Percy. You have earned my respect and I gave my word that I would not harm you. I do not go back on my word."

"Uh… ok." Was my brilliant response. I blinked a few times and tried to steer this conversation around. "So what were you smelling then?" The moon goddess seemed to notice my change of topic but said nothing about it. She sniffed again, smiling after she found whatever smell it was again. Her smile was rather goofy, if you asked me. I decided to not press my luck further and kept my mouth shut.

"Oh, I was merely trying to locate a certain smell, one… very sweet and delicious." She frantically looked around the restaurant in search for her mystery smell but seemed to not be able to locate it, she then 'humphed' and crossed her arms, leaning far back in the booth. I couldn't believe it, _Artemis_ was pouting. I had to keep myself from laughing.

I looked around the place as well, eyeing the kitchen as best I could from our spot. "Well we _are_ in a diner," I helpfully added. "You could be smelling a dozen things."

"No," She shook her head adamantly. "I have never in all of my years smelled something so delicious." Movement from the far end of the diner caught my eye. It was the three old ladies, they got up all at once and started for the door. Walking passed a glass display case that I _swear_ they lingered by for an extra second. It hit me as they left the diner silently.

"It's the pie!" I cried, a smile on my face. Oblivious to everything else. "You're smelling the pie display case by the cash register." I explained.

"What?" She asked quickly, following my eyes to the the display case. "Pies?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "You must be smelling one of the fruit pies." I sniffed once and caught the faint whiff of apple thanks to my improved demigod senses. "Smells like apple pie to me."

The goddess in front of me wore a confused look, like she didn't understand what I was talking about. "You know, apple pie." I supplied. She shook her head once. "It's a kind of dessert."

She only blinked. "You know, a bowl shaped crust with apple filling in the inside?"

I only received a blank stare. "It has cinnamon and nutmeg in it?" The blank stare continued. "Lemon juice? Brown sugar?" I was getting a little desperate now.

"It's about this big?" I made a medium sized circle with my hands. She looked even more confused now, looking at me like I suddenly grew a second head. "Uh… it has apples in it?"

"I figured as much." She helpfully stated, still wearing a confused face.

"Arrrg! You're not helping." I said, she rolled her eyes at me. "It sometimes has vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on the top?"

She made another confused face. "Whipped cream?"

"Oh my gods!" I cried, putting my head in my hands, resting my elbows on the table. "I'm so glad I didn't accept immortality, you gods are hopeless!" I muttered through my hands.

I could literally _hear_ her roll her eyes at me. "You are being unreasonable, Percy." She started. "I assume that the other gods like Apollo or Dionysus know of the food you speak of."

"Yeah but _you_ don't." I cried, dropping my hands to the table. "Out of all of the gods I'd expect _you_ to know what apple pie is!"

"Why is that?" She asked in a confused manner. "You know that I do not eat mortal food."

"Because you've spent the most time with mortals!" I said. "I would've figured that after being in American for what, several centuries at least that you'd know what apple pie is. None of your Hunters ever said anything about mortal food?"

The goddess shrugged. "I do not know. Most likely. But I do not remember every conversation I have ever had with them. You should not expect me, goddess of the Hunt to know of such things."

"Well we're righting this wrong right now." I said adamantly, seeing our waitress finally come back.

She gave me a questioning look. "How so?"

"I'm getting you some apple pie." I answered quickly.

She shook her head, her long auburn hair swaying from the movement. "That is really not necessary-."

"Nuh uh," I shook my head as Nancy made it to us. "As your friend it is my duty to right this wrong at all costs. I don't care if I have to shove it down your… throat-" I finally noticed Nancy standing next to us. She gave me a confused and slightly cautious look before giving Artemis a look that asked 'are you okay?'. When Artemis waved her off, Nancy held up her little notepad. _Oh great_ , now not only did Nancy think I meant something else, Artemis did too. Why do the Fates hate me so?

Nancy cleared her throat. "Ya two decide wha' ya wanna get?" She asked, deciding that whatever she walked into wasn't her problem.

I nodded. "We'll both be getting your 'Sunrise Bacon and Egg Burgers'. Can you believe that she's never had a burger before?" I asked Nancy out of the blue. She gave me a confused face than an astonished one to Artemis.

"Tha' true, hun?" She asked Artemis, when she nodded Nancy wore an incredulous look. "Really?"

"Yeah," I answered in a 'can you believe it' tone. "She's also never had fries either. Or apple pie!"

"Never had apple pie?!" The older women cried, looking to Artemis like she was in need of help. "Are ya serious?"

"She had never even heard of it until today," I told her. "She could smell it but didn't know what it was!"

"My word." Nancy was holding her hand at her heart like it would go out at any second. "Are ya foreign, hun?" She asked out of the blue.

Artemis blinked once. "Well, I _am_ technically from the Island of Delos in the Aegean Sea-"

"That explains it!" Nancy snapped her fingers before putting her hand on Artemis' shoulder, something even _I'd_ be scared to do, and gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, hun, we'll fix ya up the best darn apple pie west of the Mississippi." She turned back to face me. "Do ya want single pieces or one large one?"

"Could we actually take a whole pie?" I asked with my best 'like a baby seal eyes' that Annabeth can't refuse.

"O' course, hun. But it'll cost ya extra." She held up her notepad, ready to write on it.

"Doesn't matter," I said. "I just need to get Artemis here some apple pie." I gave a quick glimpse and she wore an expression that read 'why me?' and stared at the ceiling as if asking the Fates why she had to be here with me."

"Oooh that's sweet!" The older woman squealed. She gave Artemis a wink before writing down on her notepad. "Oh make sure to keep this one, hun. He's a keeper!" With that she made to turn around but I stopped her.

"Wait." I called out. She turned around quickly before taking the two steps back to us. "I want to add two more things." I gestured for her to lean down so I could whisper something in her ear. I could see Artemis raise her brow, wondering what I was doing. She looked suspicious but the soft smile at the corners of her lips let me know she was more amused than anything.

Once I finished giving my order to Nancy she gave Artemis a not so subtle look and mouthed 'He's a keeper' as she walked off. "By the gods…" Artemis grumbled out, rubbing her temple. "That woman was as bad as Aphrodite."

I chose not to make a comment. Instead we talked about the trip so far and how strange it was for us to run into each other like we did.

oooOooo

Outside the diner, three women as old as time stood still in the falling snow, undeterred about the temperature and conditions. One of the women looked to the others. "The foundation has been set, sisters."

"Yes, Clotho." Started the woman to her right. "But is it enough? Is this interference enough to sew the bonds of friendship needed to protect Olympus in it's darkest hour?"

"We can only hope, Lachesis " Stated the third sister. "Even _we_ don't see all of the thread to be sure."

The first sister spoke again. "For the sake of mortals and gods alike I do hope so, Atropos." The three sisters looked through the window in unison to see the goddess Artemis cover her barely contained laughter, supposedly from one of Percy's bad jokes. They watched in silence as she playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"I think they will be fine." The three sisters said in a single voice, though none of their mouths moved. The wind began to howl and snow started to swirl around the three sisters like a cyclone, completely covering them up. In a second the flying snow dispersed and the three sisters were gone.

oooOooo

 **(Back to Percy and Artemis)**

Within a little time Nancy came back with two burgers the size of Artemis' head, two separate baskets of fries, an entire apple pie that smelled _heavenly_ and two tall, thin glasses filled with a pink substance on the inside. The rim of each glass sported a single strawberry and a long red straw sprouted from each glass. Artemis gave it an examining look as it was placed in front of her.

"What is this?" Her voice wasn't rude or anything, but genuinely curious. She nudged it with her spoon, examining it.

"Why it's a strawberry milkshake, hun." Nancy smiled. "You can't come to a diner like this and _not_ get a milkshake or malt."

"Exactly what I was thinking," I told her. "You can't truly experience American food without having a milkshake with your apple pie and burger."

"Oh I like this one!" Nancy said again before winking to Artemis again. "I'll leave ya two alone, have a goodnight, y'hear?" At those words she headed back to the kitchen and left Artemis and I as the only ones in the diner at this late hour.

I tried my best to ignore Nancy's words and made short work of starting on my burger. Artemis gave the burger in front of her a quick glance before sniffing once and reaching for a slice of pie. I watched in trepidation as she brought the fork to her lips. But no one was holding their breath like Artemis was, as she was _literally_ holding her breath.

She consumed the bite of apple pie and froze for a second, her eyes wide and a huge smile forming on her face around the fork that still stuck out of her mouth. Before I could say anything she quickly began to devour the slice of pie faster than Grover with his enchiladas. She dropped the plate as a look of realization spread across her smiling face. Her eyes turned the size of dinner plates and thrust her fork into the sky.

"Apple pie is wonderful!" She declared aloud for all the gods to hear. Before I could blink she reached for the pie and shoved another _three_ slices onto her plate. Needless to say I only got to have a single slice of the apple pie and half of my strawberry milkshake since Artemis stole most of mine. She apologized in between shoving her face full of fries and burger, of course, but it was an apology nonetheless. I just waved it off and bought her another _entire_ apple pie. "For the road." She said. We both left considerably more stuffed than my wallet after coming into the diner but it was worth it to just hang out with a friend and buy her some food she's never had. She made me promise that the next time we met that we'd come back for more pie and milkshakes. I quickly agreed.

We trudged through the hostile winter landscape and made to back to our room just as the food seemed to settle. As soon as I opened the door Artemis raced past me and flopped down on her bed, holding her stomach and rumbling like a kid that ate too many sweets. Which, I guess is exactly what happened.

I chuckled at her antics as I closed the door. She called out to me. "Do not laugh at me, Percy. I am a goddess!" She halfheartedly threatened me. But from her prone position on her bed as she buried her face in her pillow and clutched her stomach and mumbled to herself about "accursed pie" I didn't exactly fill with fear. I tried my best to quell my laughter though.

"Okay okay, I'll stop." I held up my hands up in mock surrender. I gestured to the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower before bed, do you need to use the restroom?"

Her face appeared from a jungle of auburn hair. "I am a goddess," She mumbled. "We do not defecate like you mortals."

My brow raised. "Then where does all your food go-"

"Best to not ask such questions, Percy." She muttered before returning her face back into her pillow.

"...Okay…" I deadpanned. I took her warning and just shook my head at the goddess and smiled to myself as I grabbed a change of clothes and headed to take my shower.

I walked back out of the bathroom in a pair of shorts and a fresh t-shirt to find a silver tent on top of Artemis' bed, with thin ropes tying the sides to a different foot of the bed. I just stopped and stood in our small room, staring at the tent on top of the bed. Figures the goddess of the Hunt would be the only person on earth to sleep in a tent _inside_ of a motel room.

I slowly approached the tent and realized that I didn't know what to do. Do I knock? If so, on what? The fabric? Do I call out to her? But aren't her tents sealed from temperature and noise? Would she be able to hear me? I can't just open the flap, right? She could be changing or something like that. I prefer my insides where they are, thank you very much.

I stuck my head next to the tent and called out. "Uh, Artemis? You in there?"

"No." Came the soft voice of my unexpected roommate before a barely stifled laughter caught my ear. I blinked as I realized what was going on. She was laughing at herself. She was thinking she was being clever!

I turned around and gave an overdramatized 'what can you do?' gesture and sighing. "Oh well, guess she left somewhere." I said a little louder than normal. "Guess I'll have to return her extra pie to the diner-"

No later than did the word 'pie' escape my lips, Artemis burst out of her tent with her hunting dagger drawn. "You would dare take my pie away from me?!" She cried as she stood in a fighting position, dressed in an old fashioned silver robe, her silver dagger glowing slightly. I just stood there like a deer caught in headlights as her eyes darted around the room, finding her pie still on the small table. I tried my best to keep my eyes from dropping below her face. Her robe was rather loose. Not indecently so, I doubt she'd ever wear something like that, but it was slightly distracting to say the least. She dropped her hand and the dagger vanished in a low glow, her eyes narrowed at me.

"You were joking, weren't you?" Her voice was so serious that I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. Did she really think that I was being serious? She couldn't be that gullible, could she?

"Uh… yeah." I finally breathed out. I gestured to her tent. "I wasn't going to take your pie. I don't have a deathwish."

"Ah." She nodded like all of this made sense. Her features returned to normal and she gave my appearance a once over before nodding in approval. "Good, you are fully dressed."

I looked down to myself in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

The goddess shrugged. "I merely figured that you would be the type of man who sleeps without appropriate clothing on."

Oh.

"No no no." I shook my head. "Nothing like that. But _I do_ sleep without a shirt with Annabeth in our apartment-"

Artemis covered her ears. "I do not wish to hear what you two do in bed." She interrupted me. "I am a maiden goddess. I do not wish to hear of such things!"

"That's not what I- oh never mind. I'd never walk around without a shirt in front of you anyway." I muttered as I tried my best to stop the coloring in my cheeks. Annabeth and I were already pushing the limits of the god's wishes by living with each other and sleeping in the same bed. While the gods never seemed to follow their own rules on the subject, they were very strict when it came to conduct outside of marriage, at least for us mortals. Annabeth and I wanted to do more, of course, I mean we are young adults in love after all, but we've decided to follow the ancient laws and not anger Hera or any of the gods further.

I plopped down my bed and gave Artemis a glance as she stood there. "You know, the whole point of staying in the motel was to _stay in the motel_." I said. "What's the point in staying in a room with such a nice bed if you don't _sleep_ on it?

"I always sleep in my tent." She answered strictly.

"And you _always_ only eat the food you hunt." I shot back. "Come on, just sleep on the bed."

The moon goddess raised her finger to her chin in thought. A very human-like action that I've noticed her use quite often. "I don't remember the last time I slept on a bed outside of my tent." She mused. "The only other time I sleep outside of it is when the weather is nice and my Hunters and I sleep under the stars."

"Then that settles it," I said. "You're gonna sleep on the bed. There's always a first time for everything."

"Fine." She let out a breath and turned to her tent. Within a second it collapsed into a square the size of a postage stamp and she slid it into her travel bag on the table next to her bed. She gave the large double bed a once over before lying down on it and wrapping herself in her covers like a burrito. I personally found it hilarious. She looked to me and I could barely make out her facial features from behind a wall of auburn hair.

"Normally this would be when I gave you a warning saying that if you even thought about trying anything or leaving your bed before I rise that I would turn you into a female… the _hard_ way." Her voice turned dark suddenly. "I am very handy with a knife and my accuracy infallible, I assure you that I would not miss."

"I uh-" I started but she interrupted.

"But I won't make threat because I trust you, Percy. You are by far the most honorable man I have ever met…" Her voice trailed off into nothing. I sat on my bed waiting for her to continue but she never did. So I just shrugged to myself and turned off the bedside light next to me and pulled my own cover over myself. After several minutes of silence her soft voice spoke up again.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?" I asked, not opening my eyes or moving in any way.

"...I just wanted to give you my thanks for the wonderful day…" Her voice was so soft that I could barely hear it even in the silence in our room. "This has truly been one of the best days of my long life."

I turned my head to face her. "It's no problem-"

"No," She cut me off again. "You spent so much time and energy to make this day memorable. From your gods awful singing in the car to the apple pie…" She said apple pie like I say Annabeth. I think I found the Moon goddess' true love. "Thank you for treating me like a normal 'person'. It has been many millennia since I've had such a genuinely happy day with anyone, mortal or not."

I rolled back over and smiled into my pillow. Not giving her a reply. But little did I know how important those words were going to be until much later, when not only the mortal worlds, but Olympus' fate as well depended on our ability to work together.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Dun dun duuuunnn! Was that a little Fates foreshadowing mixed in with the seemingly normal conversation? I will neither confirm nor deny it. And you thought nothing important would happen this chapter. Tsk tsk tsk, lol. Also how about that scene at the end? Man it was** _ **so**_ **hard to keep it from getting romantic. I gotta do a true Romantic Pertemis story after this.**

 **But I do hope that you guys liked this less actiony chapter. Not every chapter can have monsters, sorry. But I do hope that you liked it anyway. This one was harder to write than the first, hopefully the third will be easier to write.**

 **If I can get TEN reviews on this chapter I'll release the Prophecy for 'Champion of Olympus' during the sneak peek after ch3 comes out.**

 **Hope you guys liked it! Leave a Review and be sure to Follow me and this story so you'll be notified when 'Champion of Olympus' comes out, along with the next prequel stories.**

 **The question for this chapter is who's your favorite character out of the entire PJ series?**

 **Have a great day, Hephaestus**


	4. Prequel ch3

Prequel Chapter 3: A Goddess Cries For Me

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! This is part 3/3 of a prequel story for my upcoming "Champion of Olympus" story.**

 **Okay so big announcement for this chapter, it is very different than the previous two. Percy and Artemis go from forming a friendship in ch1, to becoming really good friends hanging out in ch2, to being willing to sacrifice themselves for the other in ch3. I won't give out any spoilers but their friendship has evolved so much in a short time and I just want to make sure everyone is aware of it. It** _ **is**_ **the entire reason why this Prequel exists. Also thanks to everyone for their kinds words about their friendship so far!**

 **So I know I said last time that Artemis was OOC but she'll be even more OOC in this chapter. At least, for her canon character, for my story it's a natural progression. Stuff happens this chapter and makes her act in a way that she never lets herself act, so prepare for some tense moments and maybe some tears… Yeah, I can't help myself sometimes. Mwahahahaha! We get to see her POV this chapter, hope you guys like it!**

 **Please follow and favorite both me and this story so that you'll be notified when the Full Story and other Prequel Stories come out. Please also follow me on Twitter and vote for "Champion of Olympus" on my FF profile(desktop only, no phones, sorry, FF needs to change it).**

 **Please read the AN at the end as well. It's a long one but important.**

 **Hephaestus.**

* * *

Prequel Chapter 3: A Goddess Cries For Me

 **(December 2, 2010 - Somewhere so cold Percy didn't give a 'dam')**

It was about eleven in the morning when Artemis and I made it to the frozen dam outside of town and began to investigate. It was a pain, but we managed to get my car through the trees and waist high snow and down to the dam. We got out of it and walked around. According to Artemis she sensed a very old and _very_ powerful being among the hills around the dam. The several feet of fresh snow that had fallen overnight had actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, it prevented any mortals, _or sane people_ , from getting anywhere near the dam. So Artemis and I had the entire area to ourselves to search for our mystery monster. We decided to investigate the water in the dam, meaning _I_ had to jump into the freezing water and see if I could find anything in the water.

It was cold.

As you would expect. Water tends to be cold under a foot of ice and three feet of snow. While I was under the water I saw something that caught my eye, several sharp pillars of rock jutting out of the bottom of the lake and into the dam wall. As I swam up to the rock pillars I could feel a growing presence, it felt like when I was in Tartarus. Like I was _inside_ of something. I hesitantly put my hand on the rock and pulled it back suddenly as if it had bite me. Summoning a thypooh of water around me, I used my water powers to get me to the surface as fast as possible. The hard way. I burst through the ice and several stories into the air with a deafening cracking sound as my abrupt departure sent cracks spider webbing out across most of the ice in the large lake.

I dropped to the ice like a rock, all of my senses muddled and every bone in my body shaking. I tried to stand but I fell to my hands and knees in the waist high snow, thankful that my powers kept my skin and clothes dry. My breathing was rushed and I felt like I was about to pass out. Artemis was at my side in a second.

"Percy!" She dropped to her knees as well and lifted me from the snow. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" When I didn't respond a wave a fear went across her face. She hefted my arm over her shoulder and half carried half dragged me to a fire she had set up on some exposed rocks near the base of the lake. I don't remember reaching the fire, however, as I passed out before we could reach it.

 **(Artemis POV)**

I felt Percy go limp in my arms as I carried him to our temporary camp next to the lake. Using my godly strength, I hoisted his unconscious body on my shoulder and hurried him to my tent.

"Percy!" I cried when I received no response after lifting him on my shoulder. "Stay with me! Stay with me!" My voice turned more desperate with each cry. "That's an order! _Percy!_ " Tears threatened to form at the corners of my eyes but I fought them back. I was halfway to my silver tent when I raised my eyes to the sky and screamed with all of my being.

"Apollo! I need you! _Apollo!_ " I cried to the heavens. I could sense the remaining animals around me flee from my voice. No mortals were around for miles, my Hunters were away in another state and my brother was not coming. For the first time in my long immortal life I was alone.

Helpless.

"Apollo! Apollo I need you! Brother! _Please!_ " Percy threatened to fall from my shoulder, I used my arm to keep him in place. "Apollo! Father! Father please! I need you! Hermes! Hera! _Anyone!_ _**Please!**_ " I begged the skies as I threw aside the door to my tent and laid Percy down on my bed. He was still not responding. I checked his breathing and heart rate, they were shallow and slow, but still there. Thank gods.

I put my hand to his forehead and I grew more fearful. He was burning up. His skin was like the surface of the sun. I summoned my travel pack and unceremoniously dumped its contents on the floor next to me. I tried to sift through the items to find the Ambrosia and Nectar but my hands were shaking so much that it felt as if I were losing control of them.

"Curse you hands, work!" I yelled at my inability to control my own body. I had no idea why I was acting so, my mind was elsewhere and my body shaking. I couldn't focus my powers enough to use my limited healing abilities on him. I needed Apollo.

"But Apollo isn't coming." I reminded myself bitterly. Whatever beast had hurt Percy must be interfering with my abilities to call on my brother. Just like with my Golden Reindeer. "I must heal Percy myself."

I steeled my nerves the best I could and quickly went to work to bring his temperature down with a cool cloth on his forehead. I tried to pour some Nectar down his throat but the godly liquid would only flow back out of his mouth, like his body was rejecting the foreign liquid.

"Damn you Fates! No!" I cried as I threw down the Nectar in anger. "No, Artemis," I scolded myself. "You _must_ control your rage. _You_ are the only one who can save Percy. _You_ must do it!" I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"For Percy." My voice was soft even I could barely hear it escape my lips.

I nodded to myself as I went back to work to bring his fever down. It was useless to check his body for the usual breaks and injuries, with his Curse of Achilles he was invulnerable to all harm, excluding his weak spot, or _supposed_ to be, in any case. I did not understand how he had been hurt so, a being of _enormous_ strength must have attacked him. I needed to keep his fever down, I had a wet cloth on his forehead but it wasn't enough. I needed to do _something_. _Anything!_ An idea suddenly struck me, one that I would never consider for any other man... But for Percy I did not even hesitate.

I made short work of cutting his clothes from his body, leaving him only in his undergarments. I did not waste time blushing nor chiding myself for looking at the skin of a man as a maiden goddess. Instead, I brought in snow from outside of the tent and covered his body in it to keep his temperature down. Hopefully, gods willing, his godly heritage will protect his body's higher functions from the frozen water while helping keep his internal temperature down at the same time. With his temperature finally leveling I put my hands on him and used all of my being to send what little healing energy I had into his body. If only Apollo were here.

It was up to the Fates now. I could only pray that they were on my side.

I lifted my eyes to the heavens, closed them, as well as clasped my hands in prayer. "Please, honorable Fate Sisters, hear my desperate plea." I whispered. "I have never before asked anything of you, so _please_ grant my one time selfish request; heal Percy." I dropped my hands and looked down to the unconscious mortal before me. He seemed to be stabilizing. Thank the Fates.

Everything was going fine... for about fifteen seconds until his body broke out into wild convulsions. His body shaking rapidly without control. I recognized what was happening, he was having a seizure.

"No no no!" I cried as I tried my best to keep his body still without harming him. His body thrashed without end. I managed to pin his arms to his sides. "Percy! Percy please, you must wake! _You must wake!_ _**Please!**_ " My body was shaking almost as much as his, my heart raced faster than my chariot across the morning sky. Percy was dying, and there was nothing I could do to help him.

Without warning his body stilled, eerily so. I rushed to check his pulse with two fingers on his neck. My breath hitched and my heart stopped. He was gone…

"Gods no…"

And my unshed tears finally fell from my eyes as I held his still body against my heart.

Percy was dead...

...And it was my fault.

oooOooo

 **(AN: That was** _ **way**_ **heavier than I meant it to be,**

 **Sorry, but don't worry, Percy's okay)**

oooOooo

 **(Percy POV)**

I assume I was dreaming, since I don't normally wake up floating in the clouds. As a son of Poseidon I tend to avoid the sky as much as possible. My head was fuzzy and my entire body ached, but I managed to control my eyes enough to look around me.

I _was_ in the clouds. Was this the afterlife? Was I in Elysium? I didn't think I'd get in… The sky and clouds around me turned a soft reddish hue, like the morning sun and I felt a presence behind me. I turned to see a silhouette of a woman made of light with large angel wings floating above the clouds. Her face wasn't visible due to the warm light she emitted from her skin, but I could feel her eyes on me. A soft, halo-like glow shown around her body, making her appear angelic.

"You are not deceased, young hero." Her voice was so soft and melodious that it nearly lulled me to sleep. A soft red, almost golden red hued aura spread from her body and washed over me. I was filled with peace, serenity and a calmness I have never felt since I was a child."I have brought you here to offer you a warning."

"W- wh-" I tried to speak but my lips acted as if they had never been used before. My tongue was so heavy that I could not use it. The angel-like woman flew closer to me, her wide wings a reddish hue with gold at the tips of her feathers. She reached out and gently held my face as the light around her became dim enough for me to see her. I felt the breath escape my lungs. _She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen_ , _more beautiful than Aphrodite herself_. She smiled to me as her ever changing colored eyes roamed my body all over. Her rosy cheeks smiled even wider when her eyes caught mine.

"You are a very fine mortal, Perseus Jackson." Her voice was like a lullaby, so soft and warm and inviting that I wanted nothing more than to listen to it forever. "But I have already named my champion. I beg you to heed my warning to avoid him. I wish not for such a man to be ruined." She purred, her voice the only thing my mind wanted to focus on. The only thing that mattered.

Her eyes, which were once so warm and caring, turned lustful and needy, though in my state I did not care. Her jaw tightened and her hand let go of my face, I could still feel the warm of her on my skin, and my wanted her hand to return. She looked like she was having a hard time controlling herself in front of me. She shook her head and seemed to regain control again. "No, I spared you because of your beauty and honorable nature, nothing else. I have already named my champion..." She seem to be talking to herself more than me, like she had to remind herself why I was here. Though I did not care, I only wished to listen to her voice forever. The reddish glow around her turned darker as she spoke and the wind started to howl around her. "Do not make me regret my decision this day, Perseus Jackson. I will not save you a second time."

She pulled back from me with a beat of her glowing angelic wings. I couldn't stop my arm from reaching for her as she faded into the clouds. It was as if something in me _needed_ to be with her to the point of pain. The feeling left however, when I awoke with no memory of my interaction except a vague memory of an angel.

oooOooo

 **(Percy POV)**

 **(December 3, 2010)**

The first thing I felt when I came to was pain. Go figure. My entire body was numb, my bones ached and I was freezing. The second thing I felt when I came to was another body next to mine. I blinked my eyes a few times to get them used to the light again and saw a mess of auburn hair next to me. It was Artemis.

I tried my best to turn to her but all I could do was manage to turn my head a few degrees. "Ar-Artemis-" My throat was so dry it hurt to speak. Her reaction was instantaneous.

"Percy!" She cried as her face appeared above mine. Her silver eyes were so wide I could see red around the corners of her eyes and lines down her face. _She had been crying_. My heart sunk.

I tried to cover my ears to protect them from her sudden cry but I only managed to hurt myself even more. "Owwww!" I said through gritted teeth. I noticed her face turn even more worried.

"Do not move, Percy!" She said quickly, putting her hand to my forehead. "Your temperature has finally gone down but you are still in serious pain."

"I hadn't noticed." I joked, laying back into the pillow, giving up on trying to move.

"Now is _not_ the time for jokes, Perseus. You scared me to death." Oh she's upset, _great_. Her voice was serious now. "You nearly _died_. I- I believed that you… _did_ , for a time." Her voice turned softer towards the end.

"Believed what?" I asked, my mind still fuzzy. I was having a hard time concentrating.

"That you had _died_." She pulled her head back from hovering over me, but her hand remained on my forehead, as if needing proof that I was still there. "I- I even tried to contact Hades to assure your passage to Elysium but- but I was unable to call upon anyone. I tried to summon my brother, father, Aphrodite, _anyone_ who might be able to help you… but no one came."

"Why not?" I asked weakly.

"You _must_ rest, Percy." She handed me an Ambrosia square. She gave me a hesitant look. "Do you know why you… came back? Did Thanatos or my uncle send you back?"

I tried my best to think back, my mind was so fuzzy. It was if I could remember that _something_ happened, but I couldn't remember _what_ it was. All I could remember was an angel. "I saw an angel." I mumbled out.

"An angel?" She asked, confused. "Do you mean Thanatos? He has wings and collects the souls of the dead."

I shook my head weakly. "No," I held my head trying to remember. "I'm pretty sure it was a woman."

The auburn haired goddess gave me an odd look. She held up one finger to her chin in thought. "I do not know of such a god. At least not one who would be able to intervene in such a manner that also fits your description. Are you sure that you did not imagine it?"

I thought for a few seconds but nothing came to me. "Maybe." I tried to move but my body protested the movement with pain. I cursed under my breath.

The goddess paused to grab a flask of liquid and held it to my lips. "You must drink the Nectar, Percy. You are still very weak. You have been asleep for an entire day." _Well that would explain why my entire body was sore._ I drank some of the godly liquid and she pulled it away. She looked at me and the worry on her face lessened a little. "Your color is returning. But you _must rest_. I am unable to move you in this condition. We will return to Olympus to see Apollo when you recover enough."

"No." I said adamantly through gritted teeth. I used all of my strength to force myself into a sitting up position. Artemis' eyes widened at my actions.

"What in _Hades_ do you think you're doing?" She demanded as I groaned in pain, trying my best to stand.

"I'm going out there to stop that monster." I forced out, managing to get one foot under me but the other one was stubborn and refused. "I saw it in the lake, it's going to attack the town-"

"No, you must rest!" She pulled on my arm to stay down but I pulled it from her grasp. I finally managed to get my other leg to cooperate and I shuffled my way to the exit of the tent.

"If I don't stop this thing it'll kill everyone in the town!" I shot back, my voice harsher than I meant it to be. I noticed Artemis' face drop at my tone. I instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry." I mumbled in pain, grabbing my side. "But I saw into it's mind down in the lake, it plans on taking out the entire mine and then the entire town. If I don't stop it now, then everyone will die."

"But you will die as well!" Her voice was loud and harsh. "Why must you be so idiotic?!" She stepped towards me and grabbed my shoulder tightly. "If you go out there now you will be killed!"

"Better me than the town." I said softly. Her eyes widened and her face dropped. I quickly spoke up again to make her feel better. "But it _won't_ come to that, okay? With us working together this monster won't stand a chance."

Her face dropped and her hand gripped my shoulder tighter. "I- I will not be able to fight this monster, Percy."

I blinked. "Why not?" I asked hesitantly. :You- you aren't _scared_ of it, are you?"

Her eyes turned fierce with anger for a brief second before returning to normal. "Yes! Yes I am!" She cried. "You have no idea what this creature is! If Olympus knew what it was they would have sent some other gods with me! Half of the council at least!"

"What is it?" I asked.

"What did you see?" She asked instead of answering.

I thought for a few seconds, trying to piece together what I saw under the water when I touched the rock. "It was… like a large multi-legged animal made out of dirt and stone and wood? With grass, moss and a small tree growing out of it's back?"

She nodded. "Yes. What else?"

"It… felt _very_ old." I remembered. "Like older than this country old."

"Yes," She nodded her head again, letting out a breath. "It is _far_ older than that, Percy. It is older than civilization itself."

"What?" I stepped back slightly. "What is this thing? Some kind of primordial god?"

"No no," She shook her head. "It is an ancient nature deity. A being older and above the gods, only second to Gaia herself."

I clenched my fists. "She's back?!" I cried. "We need to warn-"

Artemis held up her hand to stop me. "No, the earth goddess sleeps and will never rise again. These beings are ancient and enormously powerful, but normally passive and peaceful. They normally just protect the earth." She explained. "Each realm, meaning the heavens, earth, oceans, underworld, all have protectors. Guardians per say, they are said to be the embodiments of their realm. This being is the protector of the earth. The protector of nature."

"Like the Leviathan. It was the protector of the oceans." I added, remembering the giant sea monster I helped the gods chase to the bottom of the ocean awhile back. **(AN: This will be explained in another Prequel Story. Don't worry)**

The goddess' eyes turn hard, as did her voice. "Yes, _that_." Her tone was filled with venom and fury, but not at me, it felt like she was mad at someone else. "The ocean beast that my father sent you to fight. The one that nearly _killed_ you." Wait, was she mad at her father?

I shrugged. "I made it out okay." She apparently didn't like me saying that, her eyes sharpened. I continued before she could say anything. "So you won't be able to help me fight it? Like how my dad wasn't able to help me with the Leviathan?" I asked.

She nodded curtly. " _Yes_. So you see why you cannot go up against this beast alone. It will _kill_ you." She put both her hands on my bare shoulders and looked into my eyes. "Percy, you will _die_ fighting this deity. It is above the gods. No being alive can kill it. As a mortal you could _possibly_ fight it but you can't _kill_ it."

I lightly pulled her hands off of my shoulders, letting them fall to her sides. I let out a deep breath to calm my nerves. "But I _have to_ , Artemis." I said, my voice low and calm. "If I don't do something than everyone else will die… I- I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let other people die that I could have protected."

The goddess gave me a hard stare, unblinking. She finally let out a breath and turned her eyes from me, looking away for a quick second, I heard her mumble a curse in ancient Greek. "Why must you be such a male?!" She demanded with a yell, looking back up at me.

I blinked. "What?"

"Why must you be such a male?" She repeated herself. Her voice rising. "Why must you be so adamant and valorous and chivalrous and kind-hearted and respectful and- and noble!" Her eyes had tears forming around them. "Why must you be so _damned_ heroic?!" She cried loudly before dropping her head and laying it on my chest.

We stood in silence for several seconds before she spoke up again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why must you be such a great man?" She asked softly. "Your heart will get you killed if you keep going on like this…"

I gently lifted her head to look up at mine. "Annabeth tells me the same thing." I mumbled. Her eyes looked to my own. "Did you know she wants out of all-" I gestured around us vaguely. "-This…?"

The goddess listened in silence as I continued. "She wants to leave the Greek world behind. She- she's tired of all of the fighting and wars and death… We actually had a fight about it before I left." I thought back to that morning, it made my heart hurt. "I was going to ask her if she ever wanted to get married and live with me forever. Not actually propose, but ask if she would want me to… But- a messenger came with a request from Chiron and before I knew it I was going on another mission for the gods."

"She wasn't happy that I accepted." I said softly. "She yelled at me for breaking my promise I made to her to leave this all behind after the last mission I did for the gods nearly killed me… She wants to move to New Rome for college and then move out into the real world and leave this all behind… And I agree, I'm sick of all of the Prophecies and killing and funerals I've had to attend for my friends…" I drew my mouth in a tight line, trying to keep my tears from flowing. "But when Chiron told me that people were dying, _I couldn't say yes fast enough_. I have a responsibility, it's my job to protect the Greek and mortal world. I- I have the power to save people… I can't just throw it away and let people die. I can't help my Fate." I wanted so much to be able to say this to Annabeth… I'll have to tell her and I apologize when I see her after this mission. I hope she'll understand.

I let out a long breath and looked to Artemis, she looked like she wanted to cry some more. "...I understand that, Percy." She whispered before nodding a few times to herself. "And I respect your resolve, as well as your heart. I may not like it, _not even a little_ , but I respect it." Her silver eyes looked to mine. "If you wish to protect these people at the risk of your own life than I will help you."

My eyes widened. "What?" I asked. "I thought that the gods weren't able to attack these things because of the ancient laws?"

The goddess shook her head. "No, we are not allowed nor able to _kill_ these beings. If we were _even able to_ , that is." She added as an afterthought. "I am the goddess of the Hunt and Wilds, every beast on the earth is under my domain. Be it mortal or immortal. The Fates should allow me to assist you in not dying, but that may be all I am able to do."

I nodded, smiling. "I'll take all the help I can get. Thank you, Artemis." I said, and before I could think twice I reached out and pulled her into a hug. I expected to be thrown back and yelled at but she only returned the hug after a brief second of hesitation.

"You are very welcome, Percy." I could hear the smile on her face. After a few seconds we pulled away from each other and I finally realized why I was so cold.

I looked down to myself. "Uh, Artemis?"

"Yes?" She asked, walking back to her bed and putting her items back in her travel bag.

"Why am I naked?" I asked, still looking down at my body that was wearing nothing but my underwear.

Her cheeks turned a bright crimson and her eyes widened. "Do not dare suggest such a thing of a maiden goddess!" She cried through her hands that covered her blushing face. Her voice turned frantic. "We are barred from looking upon the naked bodies of men! You- you are merely in a state of undress!"

My eyebrow rose. "Oookaaay…" I stretched out the word. "Let me rephrase, why am I in a state of undress?"

The goddess kept her back turned to me as she threw a larger version of the winter hunting cloak she wore at me. "Dress first! It is unacceptable to be in such a state before a maiden goddess." I made quick work of putting on the white camo pants, shirt and cloak. I turned back to face her. Thankful to be out of that awkward situation.

"I'm dressed now."

"Finally." I heard her mumble. I don't think I was supposed to hear it.

"Now can you tell me why I wasn't wearing any clothes?" I asked. I completely doubted it was for any immoral reasons, this _was_ _Artemis_ we were talking about, the most ' _maiden'_ maiden goddess around. But I was curious.

"You had a terrible fever for several hours." She explained. "I had to cut your clothes away to place snow on you to keep your temperature down."

I shrugged. It made sense I guess. Thank gods I was dealing with Artemis and not Aphrodite, Artemis was _way_ more professional. "Uh, okay." I said, clearing my head. "Want to go after that nature deity now?"

I could see her subconsciously thank me for changing the topic. She held up another Ambrosia square to me. "Eat this." She commanded. "I will not have you falling over from pain before we even reach the beast."

I silently took the square and ate it quickly. It tasted like Annabeth's grilled cheese sandwiches, they are the only thing she knows how to not burn and turn into an unrecognizable inedible abomination. She may be brilliant, but a cook she is not. _Please_ don't tell her I said that.

oooOooo

 **(Follow me on Twitter, yay selfless plug!)**

oooOooo

It wasn't too hard to find the nature deity, all I had to do was walk to the nearest exposed rock and put my hand on it. I was no son of Hades or Hephaestus, but as a son of the Earthshaker and demigod of Earthquakes I had enough domain over the earth to locate the abnormality under the earth. So we took down our temporary camp and set off deeper into the woods to where the mine was at the center of a large valley lined with steep cliffs. Once there I focused my powers and sent a wave of energy into the earth.

The effect was instantaneous and the earth exploded beneath us. The nature deity forming out of the exposed earth, wood and grass. It let out a bellow that shook my very bones. Accepting it's challenge I raced towards it sword drawn.

It was painfully obvious after about only fifteen seconds that I stood no chance against this beast. No wonder why my father had me chase the Leviathan into the void at the bottom of the sea instead of attacking it. This was a literal force of nature. Not even I, the most powerful demigod in history could compete against it.

"Owwww!" I let out a yell as I was thrown through the trunk of a large pine tree. Thank the gods for my Curse of Achilles, without it I would've been dead.

"Are you alright, Percy?" Artemis' voice called out from a few trees next to me as she let loose a barrage of silver arrows at the deity. It did no effect but distract it from me and chase after her.

"I'll live!" I yelled back, focusing my powers to harness the large quantities of snow around me and send it flying at the beast. "But can't you, I don't know, _talk_ to it or something as the goddess of the wilds?" I asked, using my powers to move atop the snow as if I were skiing. I turned up the speed and zoomed through the trees like a blur, all the while sending wave after wave of snow at the deity.

"If I could don't you think that I would have already?!" She asked as she dodged a spire of earth jut out of the snow beneath her feet. She was able to dodge all of it's attacks thanks to her godly speed but she was unable to even harm the thing. "It is out of my domain! I do not have control over the earth itself! Maybe if Pan were still-" The earth below her exploded and sent her flying into a nearby tree.

"Aaahhhh!"

"Artemis!" I screamed, watching the deity send another wave of earth at her, knocking her several stories into the sky.

I felt a pull in my gut as I harnessed all of the snow around me and launched myself into the sky like a bullet from a swirling vortex of snow. I caught up to the auburn haired goddess in no time and caught her as she started to fall back to the earth. "Got you!" I yelled. I looked below us to see the snow covered earth racing towards us at a rapid pace.

"Snow is just frozen water. Snow is just frozen water." I muttered frantically like a mantra. I held Artemis with one arm as I sent the other towards the ground, spread my finger wide, imagined the snow in my hands and threw my hand up at lightning speed. Several tons of snow flew up to meet us, forming a massive pillar and slowing our fall enough to avoid major injuries. The snow started to fall back down after a few seconds and before we could even register what happened we found ourselves on the ground again, with the beast racing towards us.

"Excuse my hands!" I yelled as I grabbed Artemis around the waist with one hand, lifted her and swung her to my side and held her there like a log. Swinging my other arm, I caused a massive swirl of snow around us to knock the deity back a few feet and send us flying atop the snow as well.

We flew over the top of the snow at an insane speed, the deity close on our tales. I was carrying Artemis like a sack of potatoes with one arm as she dangled from my side and was about to put her down she gripped my arm tightly to get my attention over the deafening howl of the literal tons of snow flying around our ears. I dared a quick glance at her and instantly understood her. She didn't want me to drop her, she had an idea.

I swerved direction so that we were coming back around to face the beast. Artemis, from her carried position, raised her bow at the deity and let loose another barrage of arrows, getting one silver arrows to lodge itself in the thing's rocky eye.

That only seemed to piss it of more, however, since the entire valley shook and the earth several dozen feet in front of us shot up forming a wall. I didn't have any time to react at the speed we were going, we crashed into the earth wall and crumbled like a paper airplane.

"That's going to hurt in the morning." I mumbled, raising my head from the pile of snow. I heard Artemis curse under her breath besides me and let out a sigh of relief. She was still conscious, good. Her head popped out of the snow as well, albeit slower. She rose to her feet weakly, stumbling a little bit. When she lost her balance I reached an arm out and held her steady.

"I got you." I said again. She nodded in thanks. "Sorry about grabbing you earlier-"

"No need to apologize." She cut me off, raising her bow at the rapidly approaching deity and letting more arrows fly at it, though the arrows made no effect except momentarily slow it down. "You had no unhonorable intentions. Now, let us find a way to stop this beast before it gets out of this valley."

I nodded. "If only this thing were like the Leviathan," I muttered. "Than I could communicate to it-" My eyes shot wide open, realization hitting me as hard as the wall behind us. "I'm such an idiot!" I cried.

"What?" Artemis asked as we raced as fast as we could into the trees through the waist high snow.

'I have an idea," I yelled over as we jumped behind separate trees to avoid a fist made out of earth. "Can you distract it long enough to let me gather a lot of power?"

Her brow raised in question but she remained focused. "How much time do you need?"

"Only a minuet."

She nodded. "Consider it done." She jumped to the side to avoid a wave of earth. "Though I will not be able to travel fast enough on the ground to avoid it's attacks as well as fire my bow. If only I had my flying chariot-"

"What about the trees?" I yelled over the beast's' roar. "Could you keep away from it in the trees?"

"Yes," She nodded. "But I would be unable to have enough time to climb-"

"Don't worry about climbing," I interrupted her again. I stopped running and braced myself, putting my hands together in front of me like a platform. "I'll get you into the trees."

 **(Artemis POV)**

"Don't worry about climbing," I heard Percy call. I shot a look to him, he stopped running and held his hands out before him. I instantly understood his idea. And raced towards him before he could finish. "I'll get you into the trees."

I reached Percy within a second, placing my right foot firmly onto his hands and jumped up with all of my might as he launched me high into the air. Too high, as I overshot the branch I was aiming for by a whole story, but I managed to grab onto another one and used my momentum to jump to another branch.

' _Thank the Fates I am the most acrobatic and nimble god on Olympus.'_ I thought to myself as I jumped from branch to branch, firing my silver arrows at the beast.

"Look my way when you see the signal!" I heard his voice fade as I raced away. I nodded to myself.

"Come at thee, beast!" I yelled to it. It gave a roar of challenge, and raced towards me. Completely forgetting about Percy. ' _Good,'_ I thought. ' _I need to buy him as much time as possible.'_ I had no idea what plan Percy had, but I had no doubt that he had one. If any demigod could figure out a way to stop this beast it was him. I continued to race through the branches and fire my arrows, making the beast chase me to the other end of the valley.

I spared a glance to Percy at the other end of the valley. He was stood atop an enormous pillar of snow and swirling his arms around in an elaborate fashion. Whatever he was doing I hoped he would be done soon.

The beast punished me for my momentary lapse in attention, sending a shockwave into the earth, causing the tree I was in to topple to the ground. I let out a curse in ancient Greek as I rose to my feet, my bow drawn at the beast. "Great deity," I yelled. "Hear my plea, we wish not to fight you! I am Artemis, goddess of the wilds-"

"Ahhhh!" I screamed in pain, the beast ignored my words and sent a wave of earth at me, knocking me back to my feet. I rose, albeit slower than before. I was getting tired and my godly durability was weakening thanks to the powerful attacks. I was not at risk of dying, but I could be gravely injured and knocked unconscious. I did not have time for either, however, so I forced myself to stand upright and spread my arms wide.

"Please, great deity," I tried talking to it again, though I did not believe it would work. "I can sense your anger. I am the goddess of the Wilds. I can help you!" It sent another barrage of rock spires at me. "Please! Great deity! I am a protector of the earth as well, let me help you."

I crossed my arms in front of me to block a large boulder sent flying at me. The blow knocked me to my feet, my arms numb from the pain. I would not last much longer. I need to- Suddenly I saw a thin column of snow shoot into the sky up to the height of the Empire State Building itself and explode in all directions. If that wasn't a signal than I did not know what it was.

Ignoring the beast, I raced towards the nearest newly formed rock formations, ran up it and launched myself into the air, looking in Percy's direction. At the far end of the valley I saw large trenches made deep into the snow. They were large, long words drawn into the snow, forming a short but important message:

' **RUN AND HIDE'**

I nodded in his direction on the off chance that he could see me and performed a tumble-roll before I splattered against the next rock face. Using what remained of my godly strength I let my bow and arrows fade in a silver glow and sprinted at my top speed towards the cliff wall at speeds that would make Hermes jealous and up the side of the cliff and into the deep brush at the top.

The beast looked around in a confused manner, it's eyes had been unable to track my movement and it now had no idea where I was. Hiding behind a snow covered bush I summoned some Nectar and drank it to restore my godly energy. If Percy was unable to face the beast alone than I would need to be ready to assist him. No matter the cost.

"It's up to you now, Percy." I whispered to myself.

I watched as the ancient earth deity looked around for the two people that it had been fighting. FInding no one, the earth ceased shaking and the new rock outcroppings that had formed after its attack settled back into the earth. My godly vision picked up on movement a could hundred yards to the right of the deity. Focusing my vision, I was able to make out Percy slowly walking up to the creature, his sword high above his head. It was now when the deity noticed him as well. The mass of earth, wood and grass turned to face him, but did not attack, only watched Percy as he approached.

Percy stopped when he was a dozen feet in front of it, and in a large gesture, threw his sword to the ground. The beast's 'head' turned slightly, as if it were confused by his actions. I couldn't hear what Percy was saying, but I knew that he was talking to the ancient beast with his head bowed low. I do not know what he was saying to be able to calm the beast so, but I summoned my bow and arrows in preparation to assist him if his plan failed.

I felt myself gripping my bow with enough strength to snap it if it were not a godly weapon. I prayed to the Fates that this would work.

Percy, using the sort of slow action one would use against an angry beast, slowly bent down and laid his hand on some exposed rock that jutted out from the snow. His body shook in pain, as did the beast's, but neither made a move to attack the other. After a few seconds Percy and the beast snapped out of it and looked to each other. Percy bowed his head low to the deity and walked towards the cliffside of the valley where I was hiding a hundred feet to his left. I do not know if he knew I was here though, as he made no attempt to signal to or look for me. He just simply continued to walk to the edge of the cliff and placed his hands on the exposed rock.

The earth trembled for a second before the ground beneath his feet started to slowly rise and carry him to the top of the high cliff. Once at the top he stepped off of the earth platform and onto the edge of the cliff, turning to face the valley. We both watched in awe as the colossal earth deity melded back into the ground, all exposed rock and overthrown trees correcting themselves as if it were never there. Percy put out his hands in front of him and held them like that for a solid minute.

It was slight at first, but within a few more seconds I could feel the energy grow around Percy. The snow began to swirl around his feet like a typhoon of frozen water, the earth began to shake and I could feel power, _enough power to dwarf the deities'_ , form under the earth. The air around me became cold and dense, swirling like a monsoon around Percy. Without warning Percy slammed his hands to the earth before throwing them back up again, as if lifting something.

The result would have scared the gods themselves. For the earth shook like Atlas had dropped the sky. Water burst from the dam as well as spew from the earth like a geyser. I watched in awe as a literal mountain of earth and a sea of water rose into the sky and swirled like a typhoon with Percy at the center. I fell to my knees as an aura of power, enough to impress a Primordial, washed over the entire valley and the surrounding cliffs. The sky turned dark and for the briefest of moments, I felt as if I were in the presence of _Chaos_ himself. The creator of the entire universe. It was as _Chaos_ himself was shaping the earth again in front of my eyes.

To this day I would not be able to properly explain what I saw that day, I would not be able to give it justice. All I remember was that for the briefest of moments, as a mountain of rock and sea of water swirled over his head, I felt scared of Percy for the first time. The power this demigod possessed could have destroyed Olympus... I was frozen in fear and all breath had left my lungs as did all of the air in the valley as it swirled with the water and earth.

Percy, whose body was shaking so much I feared he would collapse, struggled to keep his feet under him as he took a single step to the edge of the cliff and released the elements with a deafening 'boom' that must have shook the entire country. My lungs burned and I felt myself going dizzy, I was suffocating in the vacuum of air. I blacked out before the rock and water even hit the earth.

oooOooo

 **(AN: Was Percy too OP? Let me know. I'll explain below)**

oooOooo

 **(Percy POV)**

I sat leaning against a tree, trying to keep myself from passing out as I held the unconscious goddess in my arms. "I hurt you," I whispered to no one. I looked to her still face. I could see her breathing but I was worried that I had seriously hurt her. "I'm so sorry, Artemis. I lost control…"

I shifted her carefully to reach into her travel bag that hung from her back in search of Nectar or Ambrosia. Finding nothing, I dropped my hand into the snow. I felt like I might pass out at any moment but I couldn't, not until I got her some help. I turned my eyes up to the sky, the dark clouds quickly dispersing and being replaced with a bright blue sky, and called out as loud as I could in my weakened state.

"Apollo! Help!"

Within a second a blinding light appeared a few feet away from me. Revealing a tall, muscular blond man with a smile bright enough to blind you in a pair of beach shorts and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt.

"Hey, Percy, what's up-" His winde smile dropped as he saw his unconscious sister in my arms. He was at our side in a second. "What in _Hades_ did you do to her?" He demanded, though I could tell that was wasn't angry at me, only worried for his sister.

"Sh- she got caught up in my energy." I said, my voice hoarse. "I think the air got pulled out of her lungs. She also got thrown around by an earth deity."

"An earth deity?" Apollo cried in shock, though wasting no time summoning some Nectar and pouring it down her throat. "You two are fighting an earth deity? We have to summon the council-"

" _Were_ fighting it," I interrupted him, feeling myself growing weaker and wanting to explain everything before I passed out. "I managed to figure out that it was angry because of the illegal mining the townspeople were doing in its home and flooded the valley to stop anyone from entering it ever again."

I noticed Apollo give me a confused before turning to the valley behind us and gasping "by the gods" seconds before everything went dark.

oooOooo

 **(Artemis POV)**

I awoke to find my brother's shining smile above me. "Oh thank the Fates!" He cried. "I didn't want to risk moving you to my temple." I raised my head groggily and forced myself to sit up. I soon realized it was a terrible idea.

"Hey hey hey," My brother grabbed my shoulders and forced me to lay back down. "Don't even think about it, lil sis. You're in bad shape right now, you _need_ rest."

"What happened?" I asked, my mind disorientated. "Why am I- Percy!" I sat up quickly, ignoring the blinding white hot pain. I gripped my brother's arm with enough pressure to crack stone. "Where is Percy? What happened to him? Is he-"

"He's fine, sis." Apollo cut me off. He put a hand on my my shoulder and pointed to a tree next to us with his other hand. Percy lay on a golden blanket at the base of the tree. He wasn't moving but I could see his chest move faintly as he breathed.

He was alright.

"Thank the Fates." I let out a sigh of relief and gestured to him with my head. "Take me to him." I told my brother. He looked at me like I was crazy for even suggesting that I be moved but when I gave him a glare he let out a sigh and nodded.

I would like to say that I was able to walk to Percy on my own, but that would be a lie. Apollo almost carried me the entire way. Once next to Percy I dropped to the dry grass around the blanket. Apollo did have some uses, it seems, his ability to melt the waist high snow turned out to be quite convenient.

"Percy… I'm sorry that I could not be more help." I muttered as I looked upon his sleeping form. "But thank you for everything. If it were not for you, the entire town would have been slaughtered. Myself included. I am forever in your debt."

Apollo cocked his head to me in question. "So I've been able to piece together most of the story, I think." He started. "But now that you're awake how about you tell me what the _Hades_ you two were doing fighting an earth deity?"

I told him. If his eyes grew any wider from shock they would have burst from his head. "So somehow Percy managed to talk to the beast and used his power to control an enormous amount of earth and water. But for what purpose, I do not know."

Apollo's lip curled in a smirk. "I was planning on not letting you get up for awhile but I think you need to see this." He stood and offered me his hand. I raised my brow at his action but accepted it nonetheless and he helped me to my feet. It was a slow walk to the cliff edge even though the distance was short. Apollo did not let me overexert myself. When we finally reached the cliff I looked out over the valley and my breath caught in my throat.

Where a large, cliff-enclosed valley with century old trees and a mining camp once lay, a shimmering lake sat in its place. "By the gods…" I whispered. "Did Percy do this?"

Apollo gave me a shrug. "I don't know," He admitted. "I've never seen this place before, but Percy told me that he flooded the valley. So I assume it was him. Though," he reached down and touched the earth. "I sense some of the nature deities power flowing as well. I think that it granted Percy some of its power."

My eyebrow raised. "You do not believe that Percy did this himself?" I asked.

Apollo shook his head. "No, at least I don't think he filled in the opening of the valley with earth. Even he isn't that powerful. That would have required the power of a god." His eyes drifted over the newly formed lake. "But I think he controlled the water himself, the earth deity would not have control over the water." He gave a long whistle. "Though I would gladly pay anything to see him control such power."

"No you wouldn't" I mumbled before I could think.

My brother gave me a questioning look. "Why not?" He asked. "I think even father would have been impressed with what he did."

"It was terrifying…" I muttered, not allowing my mind to think back to what I saw. "I- I…"

Apollo sent me a cautious look. "You what?" He asked softly.

"I was scared of Percy," I admitted. "The sheer power he wielded at that moment rivaled that of a Primordial…"

My brother looked at me like I made a joke, chuckling he asked, "You can't be serious, sis. That's not possible-"

"It felt like I was watching _Chaos_ shaping the world." I said quickly, cutting him off. I sent him a hard look that said that I wasn't joking. His face paled and the glow and temperature around him dropped considerably.

"Y-you're serious?" He asked, though he knew the answer. I nodded my head. "Oh my gods…" He mumbled, looking over the new lake as if he were looking at it for the first time. He took it all in before looking back towards me, his voice turning serious. "We can't tell father."

I nodded. "I agree. He already believes that Percy plans to overthrow Olympus. This would only fuel his paranoia."

"There's no telling what he or the others would do if they found out Percy could do-" He gestured around us. "-this. You know as well as I that there is conspiring on the council. We may not be able to prove it, not like it would do us any good, but it is happening."

Every once in awhile my brother would surprise me. He was much smarter than he seemed to be, preferring instead to appear dim to avoid work. I did not consider that he would have the same suspicions as I. Though I should have in retrospect, he was there when the Prophecy was foretold of course. It was given through his body after all.

"This damned Prophecy has Ares and father in a frenzy." He mentioned. "There has already been several meetings without Poseidon in attendance. I do not believe uncle knows of Ares' schemes."

"Ares _and father's_ schemes," I corrected him. "It was _father_ who ordered Percy on that suicide mission to face the Leviathan alone."

"That's not all, sis." Apollo looked to me with worry. "You haven't been there for the last few meetings, Ares is slowly convincing the entire council that the best bet for Olympus to survive is for Percy to be killed before he fulfills the Prophecy."

"I will be in attendance from here on." I glanced over to Percy's sleeping form. "Father might listen to me and see reason."

Apollo smiled as if he knew something I didn't. "You're fond of him, aren't you?"

My breath hitched and I sent my brother a sharp look. "How could you suggest-"

"Woah woah woah," He held up his hands in surrender. "That's _not_ what I meant, sis. I know you won't break your vow. I meant that you've gotten to know him, haven't you?" He spoke it more as a statement than a question, as if he knew the answer. Maybe he did.

"I have," I nodded. "We have spent the last three days in each other's company, and in that time I have learned what kind of man he really is."

Apollo looked to me like he wanted me to continue. "Go on," He gave me a prodding nod. "You can't just leave me hanging like that. What kind of man is he?"

"The greatest man I have ever known." I said without hesitation. My brother looked at me like I grew a second head. He returned to normal after a few seconds and turned serious again.

"We will have to something about Ares though," He let out a hard sigh. "Before he does something rash and causes a civil war between father and uncle Poseidon."

"If that happens I will fight with our uncle." I declared without hesitation.

My brother's eyes widened and he looked to the sky in fear, as if expecting to be struck down. "Don't let father hear you say that," He scolded me in a forced whisper. "That's insubordination. You know what he'll do to you if he thinks you'll betray him."

"My mind is made up." I said adamantly. "I will not stand idly by as Ares and father kill Percy because of the _slight_ possibility that he will pose a threat to Olympus." I scoffed. "If they knew him at all they would know that his loyalty wouldn't even allow him a single thought of betrayal."

"Well you know Ares," He mumbled. "He's had a grudge against Percy since day one. Now with the Prophecy saying that he's gonna be killed, he's lost all his senses."

A low moan from Percy reminded my brother and I that we were not alone. "We should take to my palace for healing." My brother rose and offered me his hand again. "You think you're up for Flashing?"

I nodded. "Yes. But let's make it wuikc. I need rest."

My brother helped me shuffle over to the unconscious demigod, we each placed a hand on his shoulder and Flashed to Apollo's palace.

oooOooo

 **(AN: Check out the Sneak Peek for more info on the Prophecy.**

 **Also follow me on Twitter! Yay another plug!)**

oooOooo

 **(Percy POV)**

It has been two weeks since I got back to Camp. Artemis and Apollo filled me in on everything that happened when I woke up. It was mostly fuzzy, but I was able to confirm Apollo's thoughts that the earth deity granted me its power to shape the valley into a bowl. I flooded it myself. Once I got back home I went straight to Annabeth and apologized for leaving. I could tell that she wasn't happy but she forgave me eventually when I said that I had to go to protect a town full of people. I didn't tell her that I practically died, however, I didn't want to scare her even more. I also didn't talk to her about us getting married either. It felt like something was telling me to wait so I listened to it. I've learned to trust my gut over the years.

Annabeth and I had just woken up and dragged ourselves to the freshly made coffee to drink the heavenly liquid when the doorbell rang.

"Oh who is it this time?" I grumbled.

"If that's Chiron with another mission for you, you can forget it." Came Annabeth's muttered reply. I kissed her on the cheek and headed for the door.

"I told you, Beth, I'm done with doing missions for the gods."

I heard her snort from the other room. "I'll believe it when I see it."

The knocking continued and I felt what little patience I had this morning slip away. I was speaking before I fully opened the door. "If this is another mission from the gods, you can shove it up your hairy-" My eyes widened and I cut myself off when I realised who was standing outside the door.

An auburn brow rose above a silver eye. "Would you care to continue that sentence, Percy?" Artemis asked in level tone, though I could hear the playfulness in it. "I am curious to hear what the ending is."

"I would rather not." I mumbled, coming to my senses. "What are you doing here, Artemis?" I asked.

She wore a fake upset expression, looking behind me. "Is he always this blunt? Or is it just around me?"

"He's always like this." Annabeth's voice appeared behind me. I turned to see her stand next to me, taking a sip of her steaming coffee. She bowed her head respectfully to Artemis. "It is an honor, Lady Artemis. Would you like to come in?" She gestured inside.

"Artemis, please." She smiled to Annabeth. "Percy has earned my respect, so it extends to you. Please, call me Artemis." She gave Annabeth a sympathetic look. "I am interrupting your morning, aren't I?"

"No no," Annabeth waved off. "We were just getting up and making coffee. Would you like some, La- Artemis?"

"No thank you." She turned to face me. "I was actually wondering if I could borrow Percy for the morning?"

If Annabeth was surprised she didn't look it. She chuckled to herself. "Take him for the whole day," She waived off. "Piper and were going to have a girls day anyway."

"Perfect." The goddess' eyes shimmered. I could see a faint smirk on her lips. "If you would please get dressed, Percy, I would like to leave before long."

"But where are we going?" I asked. My mind still clouded in morning fog, trying to process the weird interaction between my girlfriend and Artemis. "And why are-"

"Oh go get dressed, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth pushed my further into our apartment. "You've done nothing but sit on your butt since you got home. Go out and do something."

"Yeah but-" Annabeth stepped outside and closed the door on me, leaving her and Artemis standing outside our door. "Well guess I better get dressed." I mumbled to myself, slowly making my way to our room.

oooOooo

After getting dressed I said goodbye to Annabeth and Artemis and I walked to the edge of camp and out of the entrance towards the road. I still had no idea what was going on, but to be honest it was nice to be with Artemis again. We built up a really close friendship on adventure together. Artemis stopped us at the bottom of the hill before the road.

"I never got to thank you for saving my life, Percy." She said suddenly, catching me off guard.

I shrugged. "It was nothing," I said. "You don't have to thank me-"

"But I want to." She said adamantly. "I am forever in your debt, Percy. I have come today with a gift of thanks." She started to walk up the hill and I followed.

"Gift?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I assume that you have not forgotten that your car is now at the bottom of a lake?" She asked as we neared the top.

"Uh, no?"

"I felt sorry for being the reason why it was destroyed, so I had Hephaestus build you a new one."

"Wait what?" I asked as we reached the top of the hill. She gestured towards a vehicle sitting on the side of the road. My breath escaped my lips.

It was a large, modified, royal blue Ford Raptor. From the faint glow of the metal it looked like it was made of Celestial Bronze. "Is-" I had a hard time forming a thought. "Is it made of Celestial Bronze?"

The goddess next to me nodded, pulling out a slip of paper from her pocket. "I have to admit that I know nothing about mortal vehicles. I only asked Hephaestus to build you the best vehicle that he could." She gestured to the truck. "This is what he gave me."

"...Wow." Is all I could say.

"Yes, _wow_." Artemis chuckled, looking down at the paper in her hands. "Hephaestus gave me this, it explains all of the inner workings and modifications he made." She handed it to me and I read it over as quickly as my dyslexia would allow.

"Celestial Bronze paneling and frame, skid plate and exterior." I continued. "Custom stain-proof white drakon hide interior, waterproof and fireproof, one foot wider and six inches wider than the base SuperCrew variant... Repeating crossbow in the door?" I questioned when I read it.

The goddess let out a sigh. "Yes, Hephaestus was rather excited to be able to work on a mortal vehicle so he added some… additions to it."

"Additions?" I asked. "Like what?"

She gestured to the note in my hands. "Read and find out."

So I did, reading out loud. "Indestructible drakon/hydra hide combination tires? One inch thick glass? An 'enlarging enchantment' in the cab and bed? What does that mean?" I asked Artemis in confusion.

"It is like the tents that my hunters use," She explained. "While it appears to only be able to fit five people, it can actually fit eight in the cab." She led me to the bed of the truck and pushed a button on the back, a hard-cased camper popped up from seemingly nowhere. "The bed also stores a hidden camping unit that fits sleeps up to eight as well. The entire camper is completely stocked with individual beds, counters, kitchenette and bathroom."

My eyes were the size of dinner plates as we looked inside the 'camper' on the bed of the truck. It was like an entire apartment it there. Screw camping in a tent, all I'd have to do is pull over on the side of he road, pop up the camper and have a fully stocked apartment right there.

I turned to Artemis, my head shaking. "This is amazing… but I can't accept it."

"Of course you can." She looked to with and gave me a look that dared me to refuse. "Your vehicle got destroyed helping me, it was the least I could do to get you another one."

My eyes roamed over the ginormous truck before me. "But it's so huge and cool and badass-"

"Well now you have a vehicle that suits you, Percy." She joked. "Hephaestus assured me that this vehicle was nigh indestructible. He said that if you managed to actually break it that he would be surprised. _Though_ he also said that if you destroyed his 'baby' that he would kill you."

"Well that's reassuring." I mumbled, looking back over the note in my hands. "Says here that it could take a hit from a giant… impressive. It also says that because of the Celestial Bronze and modifications that it weighs just over 8k pounds **(3,628kg)**. Jeez." I let out a low whistle. I took a step back and just took in the enormous vehicle. It was raised up several more inches with larger, off road tires, flared fenders, large lights atop the roof, a sturdy Celestial Bronze push bumper and winch… All in all it was the most beautiful truck I had ever seen. I wasn't much of a car guy, never had been, but even I could admit that this truck was amazing.

And it was all mine.

But looking at it I could see the glaring drawback.

"I live in New York City," I said, looking towards Artemis who was just silently watching me look at the truck. "Where am I going to park it? It takes up an entire lane."

The goddess' smile faltered, then frowned. "That is a good question. _Damn it_ ," She swore to herself. "I should have asked Hephaestus to make it able to compact like our tents." She walked up to me with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be." I cut her off quickly. "You had this amazing truck made for me by _Hephaestus_ of all people. How can I be upset at all?" I shrugged. "Nah, I'll think of something. It'll mostly stay at Camp anyway."

She smiled and I felt myself smiling too. "That is good," She muttered. "I thought that I would have to punish you for your disrespect-"

"Whatever, smelly-feet." I cut in before wisely stepping out of her reach.

" _Excuse me?_ " She cried. "You did _not_ just call me that."

"Actually I did."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, though I could see her fighting back a smile. "Oh well," She sighed dramatically. "Guess I won't give you your other gift then-"

"Other gift?" I asked, bringing me back to my senses. "Artemis, you didn't have to get me another one."

She waved off my words. "Nonsense," She said. "This is more than a simple gift." She opened her hand and a small silver whistle in the shape of a deer appeared in her palm. She handed it to me. "That is the same kind of whistle that I use to summon my Hunters. Blow on it three times and my hunters and I will come to your aid."

She gave me a stern look. "This is for emergencies only, Percy." She explained. "Only use it if your life's in danger."

I nodded, looking at the small silver whistle in my hand. "Understood."

"Lovely." She smiled.

"But I just have one question."

I saw her thin brow raise slightly. "Yes?"

"What if I just want to hang out? How do I contact you?" My voice was so serious I think it took her a few seconds to process what I said.

The goddess broke out into stifled laughter, barely able to control herself. "Offer a burnt food offering to me, I will contact you when I can."

I smiled. "I'll make sure to do that."

She only rolled her eyes at me. "One last thing," She said, her voice turning more serious. "By giving you that whistle I have made you an honorary member of my Hunt. I cannot grant you my blessing, as it is only available to females, but as of now I will consider you a member of my Hunt."

I blinked a few times. "Are you sure-"

"Yes." She cut me off. "You have earned it, Percy. I truly mean that." She smiled to me as we made our way to the driver side of the truck. "You have proven that you deserve the honor more than any other male I have ever met."

"Wow…" Was all I could say for a few seconds. "Thank you."

She pointed to the whistle in my hand. "That will prove you a member of my Hunt. Any Hunter will recognize it and, _though grudgingly_ , will assist you if you ask." She looked to the sky, looking at something I couldn't see. "We Hunters stand together, if you are ever in need, you only need use the whistle, and my Hunters and I will come and wage holy war."

Her bold choice of words stunned me for a few seconds. It was like if she knew something I didn't. Like she was _expecting_ something to happen. "What do you-"

"Come," She broke me off. "I wish to take a ride in your new vehicle."

I recognized her blatant change of topic and decided it was best to follow along. I shrugged and gestured to the passenger door, telling her to get it. "We can go get some burgers and apple pie."

Her reaction was instantaneous, she broke the limited gap between us and gripped me in a tight hug. "You are truly the greatest man I have ever met." She squealed before racing into the passenger seat at lightning fast speed, telling me to hurry and get in.

It is gonna take some time to get used to having this particular goddess as a friend, but I'm sure that I can get used to it.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Thanks so much for reading.**

 **So how about that Artemis POV at the beginning? Yeah, I didn't plan it, it just happened. I hope that her reaction and behavior seemed in character for the Artemis I have created in this story. Let me know what you thought.**

 **So apparently Annabeth wants out of the Greek world and to live a normal life. A big argument happened off-screen, but happened nonetheless. What do you guys think about it?**

 **Was that big baddie foreshadowing? I don't know, you'll have to read "Champion of Olympus" once it comes out to find out.**

 **Talking about that, I want everyone to know that I will be coming out with more Prequel stories after this, they actually take place before this one. They are set ups for my story and are a key part of the plot and relationships between characters. Want to learn how Percy and Annabeth moved in together? Well you'll have to read my next Prequel Story. The next Prequel Stories will be separate stories to help split them up and keep them straight from each other. I guess they can also be read as solo stories if you want. Let me know if I should split them up or include them all in one single story.**

 **Was Percy too OP? Let me know. I hope it's believable that he'd have that power when assisted by a minor deity. I dunno, it was just for the story.**

 **So this chapter was originally called "A Goddess Buys Me a New Truck" but I decided to change it early on. This entire Prequel story was supposed to be light and funny, with nothing too serious. You can see how long that lasted.**

 **So the Sneak Peek will be coming out soon, don't have a complete idea what it'll be but it'll include the Prophecy that Artemis and Apollo talked about in this chapter.**

 **Sorry about any typos or spelling mistakes, I'd normally do more read throughs but its almost 3am and I want to get this chapter out asap. I got up at 8am yesterday, now I'll throw my entire sleeping schedule off again, sigh, but it's worth it to get this done. Hope you all liked it. Also we're at 93 pages in total, fyi. This has already gotten out of hand.**

 **Please leave a Review, telling me what your favorite ship is. I'm Percabeth like most people but I also really like Pertemis. Please Follow and Favorite, fill out my Poll and Follow me on Twitter.**

 **Hephaestus**


	5. Sneak Peek: Enter The Hunter

Champion of Olympus Sneak Peek: Enter the Hunter

 **(Author's Note)**

 **(Quick note here, this is a rewrite. I rushed this chapter to get it out before work and I'm honestly not happy with it. So I'm gonna revise it. I'll mostly do small, grammatical/structural edits, but I will also be lengthening some scenes here and there. Please let me know how you liked the changes with a Review)**

 **Hey everyone! This is the Sneak Peek for "Champion of Olympus". There WILL be more Prequel Stories before it, though, so Follow ME do get notified when they come out.**

 **We get a look at a new character in this preview as well as the Prophecy Artemis and Apollo spoke about last chapter.**

 **I hope you all enjoy it, please please please leave a Review, Follow, Favorite, and all that jazz. Please also vote in my Poll on my Profile and Follow me on Twitter.**

 **(*1)Brobdingnagian means giant. It's the race of giants from Gulliver's Travels.**

 **Please read the AN at the bottom! Thanks!**

* * *

Champion of Olympus Sneak Peek: Enter the Hunter

 **(Dec/1/2010. Location: Temperate forest, North America. Time: Early Morning)**

A mammoth figure stalked silently through the thick, lush trees, making no sound and causing no movement in the brush around it, it was as if a phantom were drifting through the woods instead of a towering figure. No leaf crunched under its foot, no twig snapped, no bird chirped at its presence as it crept through the dense brush, it was as if were not even there. The unknown figure, enveloped in various animal pelts, skins and hides, with a myriad of antlers and horns decorating its shoulders and back like trophies, stilled at the subtle sound of a leaf under foot from over 100 yards away.

It raised it's slightly glowing wooden bow so slowly that it could have been mistaken for a statue, the figure drew an arrow from its quiver and knocked it in a single methodical, fluid movement. The arrow lay motionless for a full minute, the bow drawn, until another barely audible noise sounded from the swaying trees.

The arrow was released faster than the eye could track.

The arrow sliced through the tranquil morning air, through several bushes and between branches on several trees before finding its target after nearly half a minute. The barely visible, silver-speckled prey dropped instantly, a muffled 'thud' against the soft leaf-covered ground was all the sound it made, unnoticeable through the myriad of faint bird cries, wind drifting smoothly through the leaves and animals grazing in the warm morning sun. It was as if the forest did not even notice one of its inhabitants fell. No, the forest did not care that one of its protectors had just fallen, it was once the hunter, but today it was the prey.

The enormous figure dragged its newly killed prey silently behind it as it traveled through the dense underbrush and trees as if it were a part of nature itself. Finding the nearest clearing, the figure approached the lone tree at its center and unceremoniously skewered its prey to the tree off the ground with a sharpened wooden spike through the heart. Stopping a brief moment to close the prey's eyes with thick, callused fingers, the figure bowed its head, an inaudible murmur escaped its lips before it performed a gesture over it's heart, looking up at the sky. Taking the prey's now bloody silver travel bag, the large cloaked figure salvaged what supplies it could from its prey before melding back into the wall of trees and brush like it were never there.

The trap was set, the bait in place, the hunter ready.

oooOooo

Several lithe figures rushed through the dense trees, dancing around the brush and stone silently and without alerting the forest of their presence. The roughly dozen figures traveled in crude formation, eyeing the forest around them while constantly watching the back of the silver-speckled figure next to them. Searching for their missing sister.

The figure at the lead halted to a stop, raising a closed fist, commanding the others to follow suit. Silently, the agile figures spread out, raising their silver bows and drawing arrows. They moved as one into the clearing, each step in unison as they neared the lone tree in the center. Drawing closer the eleven figures all gasped, lowering their bows and staring wide eyed in shock at the sight before them. "Gods above…" One of them mumbled.

One of the smaller figures dropped her bow and rushed to her fallen sister in haste. The girl at the lead reached out to stop her sister, but it was too late.

"Sarah, wait!"

As the young girl reached her sister, an arrow silently sliced through the air and into her head, killing her instantly. The silver-speckled girl dropped to the leaves with a soft 'thud'. Her remaining ten sisters raised their bows in unison, spinning around to aim their silver bows in the direction of the arrow.

"Show yourself!" Cried the hooded girl at the lead. "You _dare_ attack the Hunters of Artemis? Our Lady will kill you for your-" An arrow through the neck silenced the girl of fifteen. Her body dropped to the earth, her sisters scattering like roaches.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Cried one of the Hunters, throwing out orders in rapid succession. "Haley, circle around! Wendy, cover her! Lizzy, call Lady Artemis, we may need-" The enormous cloaked figure flew from the trees at a speed that would make a child of Hermes envious and swung its elbow into the commanding Hunter's chest.

"Aaahhh!" The girl cried, being knocked back several dozen feet. After rolling a few times the girl managed to stop herself and climb to one knee, holding her throbbing chest as the white-hot flashes of pain consumed her. She could feel at least three broken ribs, though she could possibly have more. If she didn't receive medical attention soon, one of her ribs could easily pierce her lungs killing her almost instantly. But the girl shook away those thoughts, her sisters were fighting for their lives and she was the eldest one among them now, it was up to her to see her sisters back to Lady Artemis safely.

Blinking away the pain, the Hunter rose to her feet just as two more of her younger sisters fell to the cloaked figure. One of their arms being pulled from its socket with a deafening cry from its body. The second Hunter made no noise as her head was snapped backwards with a massive fist to face her fellow sisters. The snapping sound, however, filled the entire clearing.

What proceeded could only have been described as a slaughter. The Hunters of Artemis were formidable warriors, being immensely more skilled than the average camper, but they stood no chance against the cloaked figure that could snap their bows and bones with his bare hands. Arrows merely bounced off of his golden cloak harmlessly as he cut a swath through the next set of Hunters.

One of the more experienced Hunters, Ashley recognized her as Danni, nimbly danced around the six foot eight **(203.2cm)** hooded man.

Yes, Ashley could now recognize this beast as a man under the glowing golden cloak and animal pelts. His bare arms could barely be made out as they flew out from the cloak in a series of moves that would make any professional martial artist jealous. His hulking arms, like coiled rebar, took the brunt of all the attacks that the Hunters sent his way. The way he shrugged off kicks, punches, daggers, strikes from the bows, and arrows themselves with his bare forearms scared Ashley even more. She watched in awe as this brobdingnagian **(*1)** man caught arrows in his bare hands and used them to impale another Hunter to a tree a foot off the ground.

"What in _Hades_ name is this man?! Some sort of minor god or Titan?" Lizzy's fear-filled cry shook Ashley to her senses. Only six of her sisters were remaining until the mountainous man used Wendy's body as a shield and then as a projectile and threw her at another Hunter. Make that five.

"Call Lady Artemis!" Ashley yelled to her sister as she jumped next to her, recognizing her as Lizzy. "What are you waiting for? We need her right now!"

"I tired!" Lizzy called back, letting loose a barrage of arrows only to have them bounce harmlessly off of the golden animal pelt that hung around the mysterious man's shoulders like a cloak. "But she's not responding!" Lizzy blew on a silver whistle again to demonstrate. "Something's wrong, she's never ignored our calls before!"

The Hunters watched in tearful awe as another one of their sisters fell at the man's feet. He moved so fast that it was hard to determine his features, but Ashley could swear that he had a smile on his face. That pissed her off even more, causing her to see red. Drawing her hunting dagger she turned to her sister as she did the same.

"We are the Hunters of Artemis!" Ashley yelled her rallying cry to her remaining five sisters. "We will not fall to this man! Come on, sisters! Let us slay this bastard for our fallen sisters and for Lady Artemis!"

"For Lady Artemis!" Come their combined replies.

"Come at me, filthy male!" Lizzy cried as she raced towards the towering man and jumped at him, her blade aiming for his neck. "My blade thirsts for your blood-"

The imposing man turned faster than the eye could see and caught Lizzy by her head with a single, beefy hand. He held her like that, arm extended fully as Lizzy kicked and slashed at him to no avail because of the distance. Lizzy sent the man a glare that could have scared a Titan before spitting in his face.

"Do your worst, filthy male!" She cried in defiance. "You do not frighten me, my Lady will-"

'Crrrccchhh!' The massive man squeezed his bare fist around her head with a sickening 'crunch'. The remaining four Hunters all stepped back, cries and gags escaping their lips. One of the Hunters even threw up at the sight of her sister's brains and blood dripping to the ground through the thick fingers of the burly man.

Without preamble, the cloaked man tossed the lifeless body to the ground behind him as if it were nothing worth his time. He stepped towards the remaining girls, his giant foot shaking the earth and causing the four girls to step back in fear. All of the fight had drained from their eyes. The realization had finally set in, _they were going to die_. Ashley could see that they were about to drop their weapons, so she spoke up.

"Do not surrender, sisters!" She cried to them, raising her blade in protest. "Even if we die, will will have died in service of Lady Artemis! We will run forever in the Fields of Elysium with our fallen sisters! Let us not let them have died in vain!"

Her three sisters seemed to catch a second wind at her words and raced to the cloaked man with a yell that could have shaken Mount Olympus. "For Artemis!" The all cried before screaming with all of their might as they ran at the man.

But it was no use.

The man before them, who had seemingly gotten bored of them, dashed to meet them at a blinding speed, grabbing the throat of two of the girls, one in each hand, he clenched his fist, killing them instantly. The third Hunter, the youngest, Molly of only ten, was next to fall as her petite body was crushed under the bodies of her sisters as the man used their lifeless bodies as weapons, lifting the two bodies in the air above his head and slamming them onto the young girl. A muffled cry was all the sound the little girl could make until she joined her sisters in _Hades_.

Ashley held back her tears as she rose defiantly to face the man, her hunting dagger raised in a show of fearlessness and defiance. The behemoth of a man rose to his feet slowly and turned to face her, dropping the lifeless bodies of her sisters unceremoniously. Silently he crept up to her slowly before stopping a dozen feet in front of her. Ashley could now see him in full detail. He was truly enormous in both height and size. He wore traditional Spartan boots and greaves. His waist was covered by a leather and hide wrap that hung loosely in the wind. A large Celestial Bronze and leather belt harness rose up to the top of his abs. His muscled chest was otherwise bare, bar a leather strap that slung across his chest and held his cloak in place. A large Celestial Bronze ornate lion head with an open mouth sat at the center of the belt harness. Atop his shoulders sat a glowing golden animal pelt that Ashley could now differ was from a lion. The large lion skin, _far_ larger than any mortal lion that had ever lived, flowed down to his ankles, drifting in the light wind, making him seem like he stepped out of a Greek mural.

Ashley dared her eyes to meet his face and stumbled back to the ground. He was an extremely handsome man -even to a Hunter of Artemis-, truly touched by Aphrodite, though his reddish-brown eyes, like amber, held his true nature. That of a hunter. He had a fews days growth of beard on his squared jaw, his face was hardened by smoke and battle, though no scars were visible on it. But what really made Ashley's heart stop was on top of his head. He wore the lion's head as a helmet, its glowing golden mane flowing out in all directions, catching the morning sun. The lion's upper jaw sat atop his head, as if his face were sprouting from its mouth. Ashley's breath left her as she stared at the imposing man in front of her. She had been in the presence of Lady Artemis, Apollo, Hermes and even _Ares_ , she had fought in the battle of Manhattan, but never before had Ashley ever felt the kind of presence this man was emitting…

...It felt as if she were facing the embodiment of might himself.

Without warning, the man closed the distance in a gust of wind, lifting Ashley by her silver-speckled camo cloak, bringing her to meet his eye. "You will get no satisfaction from my death, _male_." She spat the word 'male' like an insult. "I will not scream nor beg for my life. I will not give you the honor!"

With her useable hand, Ashley pulled a hidden blade from her belt and drove it into his arm with all of her might. The dagger only penetrated his skin a fraction of an inch before shattering against his skin. Ashley stared wide-eyed as her shattered silver dagger fell to the ground harmlessly. She looked up to the man's face slowly, all determination and fight gone from her eyes.

Her eyes met his and she shivered, her voice barely audible she spoke, "What kind of monster _are_ you?"

"I am but a man serving his mistress. Now," His deep baritone voice rumbled lowly in his throat, sending more shivers down Ashley's spine. "Tell me, where is _your_ mistress?"

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought about the chapter with a Review.**

 **We also saw my OC for "COO" as well. He's brutal. You guys have** _ **no idea**_ **how excited I am to have him finally show up. PLEASE, speculate below who you think he is. He'll be an important character going forward. I want to know what you guys are thinking. In case you're interested, I have an concept image for him that I got from a Hercules comic book on my Twitter.**


	6. Ch 1: A Hunter's Call For Aid

Chapter 1: A Hunter's Call For Aid

 **(Author's Note):**

 **Hey everyone! For those of you who don't know, this is 'Champion of Olympus', my continuation/original ending to the Percy Jackson story. Just a few notes here, this is a strictly Percabeth story, regardless of the friendship Percy developed/will develop with Artemis and other females in this story. I will be doing a Pertemis story after this one, so don't worry.**

 **As of right now I plan for this story to be about twenty chapters long, give or take, since I have the plot for this entire story planned out. It** _ **may**_ **extend past twenty, since I'm known for doing that.**

 **As I said in the Prequel story, and I'd suggest you read them if you haven't, I will be giving Percy the Curse of Achilles back as well as a new weapon given to him by his father after he helped save Olympus in another war after the book series. I was planning on writing a prequel story for it but decided to hurry up and get on with this story and give a flashback or something to explain it.**

 **One last thing, this story will contain an OC that will be a main character and a** _ **major**_ **part of this story. I know that not a lot of people like OC stories so if you are hesitant about this story having one let me tell you that my OC will not be a Mary Sue or fall victim to the typical OC issues that other stories have. I have tried my best to flush out my OC as much as possible and make them as realistic as possible. Which, has already been difficult due to his abilities and heritage. But no spoilers for him, I want you guys to get to know him through Percy. I you haven't figured it out yet, my OC, which hasn't been named yet, debuted in the 'COO' sneak peek. Yes, that was him. Unfortunately he won't be showing up until next chapter, as this first chapter is mostly a setup for the story. But my OC will be a major part of the story after that. I hope you guys find him as interesting as I do when he finally shows up in chapter 2.**

 **Summary:**

 **Two years have passed since the end of 'The Blood of Olympus' and Percy, Annabeth and the other demigods are enjoying the brief and temporary time of peace after the war. Percy and Annabeth have been living together in the newly constructed apartments in Camp based of off the ones in New Rome that the older Romans and families lived in. Annabeth has given up on quests and most of the Greek world in favor of taking college courses online and pursuing her dreams of becoming a famous architect, while deciding to stay at Camp to be with her boyfriend. Percy, on the other hand, has had a tougher time leaving the Greek world, still going on quests and missions for the gods from time to time and taking a leadership role in Camp, despite officially retiring from them. Teaching the Masters Swordsmanship Class as well as instructing the younger Campers. The two have had a few disagreements about Percy going back on his promise to Annabeth about leaving the Greek world, but the young couple has never been happier.**

 **A new Prophecy has been delivered to the gods and Zeus has ordered it to be kept secret from the demigods and most importantly, Percy. Stirrings of an ancient being rising, an heir that will betray the gods and threaten Olympus has been foretold. Now Percy, with the aid of the Hunters of Artemis as well as old friends from Camp, must face this new threat alone, as the gods have declared that they will not assist the demigods in the endeavor and fight against an ancient foe and their champion. Read along as Percy must disregard his wishes for a normal life and lead the demigods against their most powerful foe yet. Pushing Percy to the absolute limits of his power and will to protect Olympus and the people he loves.**

 **Now that has been enough stalling, I'm sure that a lot of people just skipped this AN and are now confused about what's going on. But it's fine, I sometimes skip AN's too. I hope that all of you enjoy this first chapter of my Champion of Olympus story. Please read the AN at the bottom and leave any feedback you might have.**

 **See you at the bottom, have a great day, Hephaestus.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A Hunter's Call For Aid

 **(February 10, 2011 - Camp Half-Blood Apartments)**

If you were to ask Percy, he would have told you that this morning started like any other. He woke up in his shared room with his girlfriend of over two years, Annabeth Chase(yes they share a room and bed in their apartment but they have decided to wait until they're married to… do what married couples do in bed. As demigods, they are required to follow the ancient laws of the gods, one being that having sex outside of marriage is illegal. And as Annabeth figured that they had pissed off Hera, the goddess of marriage enough already, that it would best to wait until they were married). They woke up just after dawn, a luxury that only the senior campers were provided, as the regular campers had to perform chores and training before breakfast in the pavilion each day. As senior campers, Percy and Annabeth were also excused from all chores and from eating with the rest of the camp at the dining pavilion, but since Chiron asked them to attend because he was going to make an announcement to the entire camp, the two eighteen year olds made their way through their small apartment(which resembled a tiny studio apartment) and got ready for the day.

Percy was making coffee in their tiny kitchen when he heard Annabeth approach, seeking the delicious smell of freshly brewed coffee. He smiled at seeing her enter the room with a large fluffy towel wrapped around her still slightly wet hair, offering her a mug as well as a light kiss on the cheek. "Mornin', sleeping beauty." He smiled, offering the mug. "Coffee?"

Annabeth's mood lightened at his actions. She returned the kiss and accepted the steaming coffee. "Thanks, Percy." She took a sip, sighing with thanks as she slumped down on their couch. "You're the best boyfriend in the world."

Percy let out a soft chuckle, cleaning up the coffee pot and taking a sip of his own beverage. "This is why I _love_ morning Annabeth, she's _so_ adorable and nice whenever I give her coffee."

Annabeth snorted in her drink. "As opposed to what? _Normal_ Annabeth?" She asked, her brow raised at him over her coffee from across the small room.

Percy paused momentarily, debating in his head if he should crack a joke. Instead he said, "Can I plead the fifth?"

Annabeth only rolled her eyes affectionately, taking another sip of her coffee, drying her hair as she did. "Wise choice." She sent him a smile before glancing at the clock on the wall. "But we _should_ hurry, Chiron said that he wanted everyone there for breakfast so that he could make an announcement."

Percy nodded his head, draining his coffee and quickly rinsing it out in the sink before placing it in the dishwasher. He made his way over to Annabeth in their tiny living room that was connected to the kitchen. "Any idea what it'll be, Wisegirl?" He asked, plopping down next to her and putting his shoes on. "He say anything to you about it?"

She shook her head, deciding to take her coffee with her to breakfast instead of chugging it down like her boyfriend. "No idea," She admitted. "But it probably isn't anything bad. Since he would have called a meeting with the senior campers and the cabin leaders like last time, you know?" She paused to take the few steps to their bathroom, depositing the towel in a basket and fixing her hair, looking at the mirror from the doorway. Percy turned around on the couch to face her.

"I guess you're right," He shrugged, standing up, ready to go. "Chiron would've told us first if something was wrong." He gave a look to his girlfriend, smiling. "How is it that you're always getting on _me_ for slacking off instead of getting ready when _you're_ always the one slowing us down?" He joked.

Annabeth replied by tossing a towel at his head. He laughed, catching it before it hit his face. After a few more minutes of waiting for Annabeth to get ready, the two left their apartment and headed down to the dining pavilion. They arrived after a few short minutes of walking, saying hi or waving to the other campers walking by. Annabeth made sure to glare at the Aphrodite girls that were ogling Percy as they walked past, with Percy none the wiser as usual, the oblivious goof. She had to make sure to tell Piper about it. The daughter of Aphrodite and head of the cabin had set her sisters(and a few select brothers) down and told them to stop trying to get in the way of Percy and Annabeth's relationship. So far the threats of disembowelment weren't taken seriously. Drew was still proving to be a problem whenever Percy, or another attractive boy, was around. She and Piper had had an argument the other week when Drew tried to hit on Jason. He didn't even give her the time of day, as you would expect.

Percy and Annabeth arrived at the dining pavilion just as the last cabin, the Hypnos cabin of course, made their way in. But the young couple didn't have any problems finding seats together since they, as senior campers, sat with Chiron and the other adult campers at the new head table. It was tradition for demigods to sit at specific tables due to their godly parentage, but with the older campers it was more difficult, as a few of them who were older than Percy and Annabeth, had either started dating, became engaged or even married in one case. Jon and Martha, a son of Dionysus and a daughter of Persephone respectively, were prime examples of this, getting married the previous spring and living in the camp for some time before moving to New Rome so that they could one day raise a family in a city free of Monsters.

Percy and Annabeth had talked about that very subject a few times, with Annabeth wishing to move to New Rome so that she could go to their university there but ultimately relented and decided to stay at camp with Percy when he told her that he had too many responsibilities at camp at the moment to leave. But promising that he would wrap them up as soon as possible and talk to Chiron about getting someone to take over his Master Swordsmanship classes he teaches so that they could move to New Rome and start a new life there free from their responsibilities. Annabeth knew that Percy wanted to move to New Rome one day so that they could go to school, get married and _maybe_ , one day, starting a family of their own, he had told her as much, but whenever she tried to approach the idea of them setting up a specific time to move to New Rome, Percy would always bring up something that threw a cog in her plans. Like two months ago when he said that the new campers he was training responded better to his training than Clarisse's, and that he didn't feel they were in a place in their training that he felt comfortable leaving them. Deep down, Annabeth _knew_ that Percy wasn't doing it on purpose, but sometimes it just felt like Percy didn't _want_ to leave camp for New Rome, despite being the one to suggest the idea in the first place. It probably bothered her a little more than it should have, but Annabeth tried her best to not let Percy's reluctance to leave camp get to her. No matter how much he denied it.

They made their way to the head table. Chiron stood in his true form at the center, giving his two favorite students a warm smile as they approached. They took the two empty seat to his right. Clarisse and her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, a son of Hermes, sat to his left. Clarisse and Chris had followed after Percy and Annabeth, with the two moving out of the cabins after both turning eighteen and moving in with each other in the new apartments set up next to the woods in camp. With Clarisse stepping down as the head counselor of the Ares cabin and leaving the responsibility to Sherman Yang. Though the two still held roles around the camp, as it was a requirement to staying there, with Clarisse teaching beginning combat training while Chris utilized his abilities and taught stealth training to the middle aged campers in the woods. Seeing the two, Annabeth gave them a nod, tipping her small thermos of coffee to them. Chris replied with a nice "hello" while Clarisse gave a mock salute, though she wore a small smile on her face as she did. Percy was just about to greet Jason and Piper who sat at their respective cabin tables since neither of them were eighteen yet, when Chiron stomped his hoof to get everyone's attention.

"Good morning, young heroes," He greeted, giving a smile to each table before him and an even bigger one to the older campers sat next to him. "I would like to start off by saying that _yes_ , the capture the flag game _will_ be held this Friday. _Despite_ the crate full of Pylosian fire-breathing salamanders that were discovered in the woods after a few members of the Hermes cabin were sighted in the area, we _will_ be having the capture the flag game as usual. Do not worry." His announcement was followed by cheers from the entire camp, with the head table being either more restrained or uninterested, as senior campers did not participate in camp games most of the time. Instead working with Chiron to help manage and keep track of the game to make sure that kills and maimings were kept to a minimum. Chiron stomped his hoof once again to silence the crowd.

"Yes yes, I am sure that we are _all_ interested to see how the two nominated head cabins for this game, Aphrodite and Hypnos, will lead their respective allied cabins to victory." He paused for a few seconds to allow the Aphrodite and Hypnos cabins to cheer. And by that he mostly means Piper and Esteban from Aphrodite and Clovis and the few campers that were _actually awake_ from Hypnos. Chiron cleared his throat, continuing. "But we will discuss that in more detail when we get to our weekly agenda at the end of my announcement. I am sure that you all are hungry for breakfast, so if we don't have any interruptions we will finish before the flesh-eating cicadas wake up and terrorize the first group that will be training in the woods." A few groans were heard from the Demeter table. Chiron continued with stride. "On a more serious note, I regret to inform you all that I have not received any more news from the gods. We are still unclear as to why they have been more… _absent_ as of late. As well as why they have not been replying to Iris Messages or burnt offerings. I will be sure to inform you all if this changes in the near future, but as I told you eight months ago when the gods started to go silent, there is _nothing_ to worry about. The gods have been known to go silent from time to time. We shall proceed as if nothing has changed, while _doubling_ our prayers and burnt offerings to them for the time being." A few more groans were heard from the tables.

Eight months ago the gods had started to go quiet, and six months ago the gods had gone quiet altogether, they had stopped replying to any and all messages sent to them by their children. The gods had also not been seen by any camper _or_ Chiron in that time. After a group of minor Titans and Monsters attacked the original Mount Olympus again eight months ago and the gods refused to send their aid when the campers traveled to Greece to fight off the army, the campers had started to worry that something was wrong after they returned home after fleeing the battle. Many campers had lost their lives in the slaughter, the only reason why _any_ of them had survived was due to Percy ordering the surviving campers to retreat back to America and defending the godly mountain on his own. Though, it was known by all the campers that Poseidon _did_ assist Percy by temporarily granting him his Trident and the symbol of his godly power to end the fight. Jason had been the one to stay behind and retrieved Percy's unconscious and nearly dead body after the son of Poseidon had harnessed the power of the godly weapon and summoned a hurricane the size of Australia and nearly caused Mount Olympus to fall when he created an earthquake to collapse the ground around the Titan's feet. And now, after all this time without any contact from the gods their fears were starting to grow. Though Chiron tried his best to assure them that the gods were alright, every camper could sense that _something_ was wrong. Mr. D had been excused of his punishment by Zeus and had left camp in the hands of Chiron, so even their temperamental former director was nowhere to be seen. The always perfect weather and temperature in the camp was fluctuating more and more often as the days past. The tides became choppy off Long Island, the wind howled through the trees in the woods behind the camp, the earth shook below their feet and the strawberry fields hadn't beared any fruits all season, despite the hard work of the Demeter and Dionysus cabins. The wood nymphs had fled deep into the woods and a general feeling of uneasiness could be felt by most of the older campers.

Chiron looked like he was about to open his mouth and continue talking, but movement from the edge of the pavilion caught the eye of everyone, stopping him. A tall man resembling a very stereotypical surfer dude was making his way to the head table, though the dozens of eyes all over his body gave away his identity pretty quickly. As the head of security for the camp, Argus. Said man made his way silently up to Chiron, beckoning him with a quick head tilt. Chiron took a few steps back and leaned down slightly to allow the tall man to whisper into his ear. Argus' presence in the pavilion troubled and worried the older campers. Since Argus wasn't known to show up and make an appearance unless something was wrong. Annabeth felt Percy stiffen in his seat next to her, his hand slowly making it into his pocket where he always stored his pen, Riptide, just in case there was a problem. She could also see Clarisse clench her fist and give Sherman and the other Ares campers a subtle look to remain ready. It wasn't a secret that the entire camp had been on edge for the last eight months now. And each day was getting worse.

Chiron seemed to notice this after he nodded to Argus. "Show them in, make haste." Argus nodded and made his way as silent as ever past the campers and out of sight. Chiron then stepped back up to the head table, giving Percy and Clarisse a subtle look that all was alright. "There is _no need_ to worry, young heroes," He started, though to Percy, Annabeth and the older campers at the head table it sounded like he was trying to convince _himself_. "Argus was just informing me that some unexpected visitors are currently on their way to converse with us." The old centaur must have noticed the hopeful faces on the campers because he gave an apologetic look, shaking his head. "But before any of you jump to conclusions, it is _not_ the gods. A few members of Lady Artemis' hunt have arrived with a request." At the mention of the hunters, several groans could be heard from the campers old enough to remember the last few times the hunters had stayed at camp. Though Percy's ears perked up, mostly because of the chance that he would be able to see Thalia after so long but also because of his recent friendship with Artemis herself when he traveled with her for several days tracking down Monsters. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a _little_ excited to see the goddess again. It had been awhile since he was able to see how she and her hunters were doing.

Chiron gave the campers a serious glare. "Now, I do not want _any incidents_ this time." He ordered, giving a look to the Hermes cabin. "Relations between us and the gods are already strained, we would not wish to anger Lady Artemis any more than we already have in the past." Just as the old centaur finished, three teenage girls adorned in silver hunting cloaks made their way into sight. They marched silently up to the head table, flanked by Argus. Thalia was in the lead, giving Percy and Annabeth a quick smile before facing Chiron.

"Welcome back, my child. If only for a short time." Chiron smiled to the daughter of Zeus, giving her a one armed hug. "It is good to see you again."

Thalia returned the smile. "Thanks, Chiron." Her smile faltered slightly, eyeing her sisters who stood stiff as boards glaring at the campers. "But I wish I was here with better news. Lady Artemis has been summoned to Mount Olympus and has left us alone for several months."

Chiron's eyes lost a little of their shine. "I feared as much. I hoped that Lady Artemis would be exempt, but it seems that it is not the case…"

"Chiron," Percy started. "What do you-."

"Nothing, my boy." Chiron cut him off quickly with a wave of his hand. "Just the ramblings of an old centaur." He gestured to Thalia. "Please, child, Argus tells me that you have come with a request?"

Thalia nodded. "Lady Artemis ordered us to continue traveling the country and hunting any Monsters we saw when she first left us eight months ago. They have been few and far inbetween, but we have received a few more instructions from her since then." Her face went a little worried, giving her sisters a look. "Our Lady has ordered us to travel to Colorado to hunt and kill an elder Hydra."

Chiron's eyes widened. "By _yourselves_? How would Lady Artemis expect you hunters to kill a Monster like that without help?"

Thalia shook her head slightly. "No, not by ourselves. Our Lady has ordered us to come to you about requesting help."

Chiron's smile returned a little bit. He gestured to Clarisse who sat next to him, who stood at seeing his motion. "We would be _honored_ to assist the Hunters of Artemis. I assume that you remember Clarisse, child? She is our best female hand to hand _and_ armed fighter." He then motioned to the Aphrodite table. "Piper is also a very skilled fighter as well. I am sure that the two of them can compose a team of our best female campers in no time and would be ready to leave within the hour-."

Thalia shook her head. "No no," She cut him off politely. Giving Piper and Clarisse an apologetic look. "We appreciate the suggestion, Chiron. But Lady Artemis was very… _specific_ about the one person we were supposed to ask." Thalia then moved her eyes from the old centaur and to the son of Poseidon. Percy noticed this and felt a wave of uneasiness wash over himself.

"And who would that be?" Percy asked, though inwardly knowing the answer.

Thalia looked like she was about to answer when another hunter stepped forward and glared at him. "That would be _you, boy_." She snarled.

Percy ignored the unknown hunter and looked to Thalia who nodded. Chiron motioned for him to stand, so he did. "Why would Artemis ask for my help alone?" Percy asked.

The same hunter stepped up to Percy quickly, unsheathing her dagger and pointing it at his neck. "How _dare_ you speak about Lady Artemis with such familiarity!" She glared at him, her eyes ablaze. "You are not worthy to speak her name, _male_." Percy guesses that this hunter was trying to intimidate him, but since she was a whole two heads shorter than him and in a twelve year old body, she didn't exactly strike him with fear. He sent a glance to Thalia, wordlessly asking what he did wrong and to call her off.

Thalia rolled her eyes before stepping up to the other hunter and putting her hand on her shoulder. "That's _enough_ , Medeia." Said hunter, now known as Medeia, forcefully shrugged Thalia's hand off her shoulder, still glaring at Percy and not removing the blade from his throat. "I said that's _enough_ , Medeia. Stand down, that's an _order_." Thalia stressed the word.

Percy kept unflinching eye contact with Medeia, holding his hand out to Annabeth to tell her not to do anything at the same time. After a few seconds Medeia lowered her dagger and took a step back from Percy before turning her glare to Thalia and walking back to the other hunter who had stayed silent. Thalia gave Percy, Annabeth and Chiron an apologetic look. "Sorry about Medeia, she's the eldest hunter now that Zoë and Phoebe… _you know_." She shrugged before giving Medeia a quick glance before looking back to Percy. "While _most_ of the hunters have learned to accept that Lady Artemis respects you, Medeia refuses to."

"I figured as much." Percy said somberly before looking to the offending hunter, taking a step forward and holding his hand out to her. "I don't hold grudges. I'm sure we can act like adults, at least for a little while. Medeia, right? I'm Percy, nice to meet you." Said temperamental hunter only 'hmphd', pointed her nose high and walked off, ignoring him. Percy wore a quick deflated look before turning back to Thalia. "I guess that what I get for trying to be nice…"

Thalia only let out a sigh. "Just ignore her for now. Will you come help us, Percy? We could _really_ use your help."

Percy opened his mouth to speak just as Annabeth spoke up. "I'm sorry, Thalia, but he can't." Her sudden voice surprised Percy, Thalia, Chiron and everyone at the head table.

Percy gave his girlfriend a confused look. "Why not?" He asked. "If Thals needs my help-."

Annabeth shook her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Have you _forgotten_ that we're _retired_ from quests, Percy?" She asked but didn't wait for him to respond. "I _thought_ we talked about this. You said that you were done with this."

" _Retired_?" Thalia asked, facing Percy, confused. "What does _that_ mean?"

Annabeth answered for him. "We both decided to 'retire' after the war with Gaea, because we wanted to focus on our relationship and go to school." She gave Percy a pointed look. "We were going to move to New Rome and start a new life together, you can't leave now."

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Chiron cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the entire camp that had witnessed that moment. The old centaur looked towards his two favorite students. "Why don't you two discuss this in _private_?" He suggested with a calming voice. "I will inform you two about my announcement later. I feel that you two have _many_ things to discuss."

Five minutes later found Percy, Annabeth and Thalia stepping into the couple's shared apartment. And as soon as the door closed Thalia felt like she was invading their privacy as they started arguing.

"What do you _mean_ you want to travel with the hunters, Percy?" Annabeth asked, an incredulous look on her face. "You heard Thalia on the way here, this trip could take _over a month!_ I _thought_ that you said that you were going to talk to Chiron about getting someone to take over your classes so that we could move to New Rome? And now you want to go off for _another_ month to hunt down a Hydra? I thought you told me that you were done hunting Monsters?"

The two made their way into their small living room, standing a few feet in front of the other, completely forgetting(or ignoring) that Thalia was in their apartment as she made her way into the other room. Not wanting to eavesdrop on their private conversation any more than she had to. Percy wore an expression like he didn't understand why Annabeth was so upset. "I _know_ I said that, Wisegirl, this is my _last fight_ , I swear." He said calmly, trying to alleviate the tension that had already formed in the room. They didn't argue very often, but when they did it usually devolved very quickly, but they always made up before long. They both refused to go to bed angry with the other. "But Thalia is _asking for help_. She says that Artemis was worried that they couldn't fight the elder Hydra alone. What do you want me to do, let them fight it alone and possibly die?"

"Yes!" She cried before instantly realizing what she said, an apologetic and sorry look on her face. "No. I mean, _ugh_ , I don't know." She wore a conflicted look on her face, her hand placed on her forehead. "Look, Percy, it's not that I _don't_ want you to help Thalia, gods _know_ I love her too, but we were settling down, stepping away from the greek world so that we could move to New Rome, go to school and be able to live like normal people. I want to be able to walk down to the coffeeshop with my boyfriend after classes and not have to worry about being attacked by Monsters." He voice turned a little softer, as her words turned slower. "We _tried_ living a normal life in New York with your mom and Paul last Christmas, but after that Hellhound burst into their living room we both decided that it was too much of a risk for us to live in the mortal world."

Percy let out a breath. "I _know_ , Annabeth," He said slowly. "But I just don't think that _right now_ is the best time to move to New Rome."

"Then when _is_ the best time, Percy?" Her voice raised a little. "I've been trying to get us to move to New Rome since after the war. _Two_ years ago. _You_ were the one to suggest that we should move there together. But every time I bring it up you make up an excuse saying that we can't go."

Percy's eyes widened. "I'm _not_ making any excuses," He shot back. "I _want_ to move to New Rome with you one day, but _now_ isn't the best time. The entire camp is worried that something is wrong with the gods, I just can't leave them right now. I'm a member of the senior leaders of the camp. I run games, training, programs and I'm the elected leader of the war council. With everything going on right now, I just can't risk it. Too many people depend on me to leave."

Annabeth's voice hardened, her hand raising to cover her heart. " _I_ depend on you too, Percy." Her voice was just below a yell. "You can't just _leave me_ for another month to go travel with the hunters. We _promised_ each other that we would stop all of this fighting so that nothing would happen to either of us!" She took a step closer to Percy, putting her hand on his chest. Her voice dropped from a yell, the anger from earlier completely gone and replaced with sorrowful passion. "What am I supposed to do when you're out fighting a Hydra for a month or possibly longer? Sit here at home twiddling my fingers waiting for you to come home to me? Do you have _any idea_ how I felt waiting for you to come home everyday when you were gone for nine days the _last time_ _the gods asked you for help_?"

He lightly took her hand that was on his chest, giving it a comforting squeez. "But everything turned out alright-."

"It did _not turn out all gods damned right_!" She yelled, moving her face closer to his, increasing the grip on his hand. Her strong language surprising Percy, since she did not normally curse. "You were gone for nine days. _Nine days_ , Percy! I thought you were dead! Zeus told everyone that you were! We held a _funeral_ for you for gods sake! We had to bury an empty coffin! Your mom nearly _died of grief_ when I told her, she had to go the hospital. She had to live _without_ her son. _I_ had to live with not being able to say goodbye to you one last time!"

"I _know_ that, Wisegirl, but-."

"No," She interrupted him, her voice deathly calm and tight. "I don't think you do. Do you have _any_ idea how it felt to think that you, _the love of my life_ , was _dead_ for nine days? I didn't sleep for an entire week, I _couldn't_ , because _every time_ I looked at that empty bed besides me I became heartbroken all over again." Her jaw was set tight and she looked like she was holding back tears. "You _always_ go on and on about saying that you'd never know what you'd do without me, but don't you know that _I_ feel the same way about _you_?" She took another half step closer to him, their bodies almost touching. "Percy, I love you, and I want you to do what makes you happy, but I _can't_ live without you. Every time you're away helping the gods or hunting some Monster or traveling I can't sleep at night, because _every time_ I see the empty bed next to me I worry that I'll never get to see you again." She let out a sob, a few rogue tears rolling down her face. She dropped her head so that it was sitting against his chest.

"Don't you realize that every time you _lie_ to me about leaving this all behind breaks my heart?" She spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've lost track of how many times you've said that 'this is the last quest'. That 'this is my last fight'. That you were giving up this life for _me_."

Percy stiffened, his breath hitching and his jaw tightening. He looked down to Annabeth, a look of refusal to accept what she said on his face. "I'd _never_ lie to you, Annabeth-."

"But that's what you're doing right now." She cried, looking right into his bright green eyes. An almost heartbroken look on her face. "You _promised_ me after the fight with Gaea that you would retire with me. We were supposed to finish things up here at camp and then move to New Rome, go to school, live like a normal couple, get married and start our own family in a few years…" She paused to force back another sob, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. "We can't do any of that if you're not here or _dead!_ "

Percy almost stumbled back at her words, momentarily surprised by her words but after a second he only clenched his jaw tight and wrapped Annabeth in his arms, embracing her. "I _never_ meant to hurt you, Annabeth," He whispered into her hair, holding her tight as she cried. "I'm _so sorry_ … I was being an idiot and not thinking about how this made you feel."

He pulled back slightly, cupping her chin in his hand, lighting her head so that her stormy grey eyes bore into his own sea green ones. "I _want_ to spend the rest of my life with you, Wisegirl, you _know_ that. I've fought _so hard_ for it… I had to face your mother and the council to ask for your hand just to be refused..." He paused briefly to wipe a rogue tear away from her eye with his thumb. He wore a pained face, as if every word he was about to say physically hurt him to utter. "...But I _have_ to help Thalia and the hunters. If I don't… they could _die_. I… I just couldn't live with myself if she died because I didn't help her."

Annabeth sniffled, slowly nodding, still hugging him tightly like she feared he would disappear if she were to let go. Her voice was so soft that Percy could barely hear it, despite the close proximity. "I _know_ that, Percy…" She whispered. " _But I don't want to lose you_."

Percy's face was pained, he hated seeing Annabeth like this. _Nothing_ else hurt him like this. He wanted nothing else than to tell Thalia that he couldn't leave and stay with Annabeth, move to New Rome and live the rest of their lives in peace… But he _knew_ that the life of a demigod, and more so of a hero, was _never_ easy. Chiron told him that a hero's life was filled with pain, loss and regret. If you were to ask Percy, he would tell you that he didn't think a 'hero' like him would ever have a happy life. Regardless of how much he wished and fought for one.

"I _know_ , Wisegirl, I know," He whispered back, his voice tight. "But I _have_ to go. But after all of this is over, I _promise_ that this is my last fight. I'll come back to you. I _promise_ -."

" _No_ ," She cut him off, her own face pained. "Don't promise me you'll come back…" His face softened into confusion. "Because you might have to _break_ that promise. I don't want you to break the last promise you made to me." She moved her hand to cup his face softly and ran her hand over it, as if trying to remember every detail of it in case she never saw him again. "Just promise me that you'll always love me… that's _all I ever wanted_." She looked up to him, her eyes had tears forming in them but she forced them not to fall.

Percy nodded slowly, covering her hand on his face with his own. "I _promise_ that I will _always_ love you, Annabeth Chase. I swear it on the Styx."

Her eyes widened slightly. "You swore on the Styx…" She muttered, taken back but not surprised, he was always rash. "You could _die_ for that…" Her tone was more amazement and and humor than surprise now.

He gave her a small smile, more like a grin, combing his free hand through her hair. "I'd never want to live in a world where I didn't love you, Wisegirl. And I'll tell you that everyday for the rest of our lives."

They stayed in their embrace for so long that only the gods knew. Both of them refusing to let go of the other. Both not wanting to have to leave the other but knowing in their hearts that they must. Percy _had_ to help Thalia and the hunters. Speaking of the daughter of Zeus, she tried her best to give the emotional couple as much time as possible, but she had to eventually enter the room and break the somber atmosphere.

Thalia cleared her throat from her spot at the door, getting their attention. It took a few seconds, but Percy eventually gave his girlfriend one last tight squeeze before letting go and taking a step back, giving Annabethone last broken smile as he did. "I'm sorry, you two," Thalia started. "But we must hurry. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Annabeth nodded, forcing the tears back that threatened to fall. "...I understand." She tried her best to give her boyfriend a smile. "You two look out for each other, okay? And be safe."

"Why don't you grab your bag, Percy?" Thalia said as she made her way into the room, standing beside Annabeth, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "I need to talk to Annabeth."

Percy only nodded, unable to say anything in fear of collapsing under the pressure and crying himself. He needed to stay strong for Annabeth. Only once he made his way to their room and shut the door did the two girls start talking. Annabeth practically collapsed onto the couch behind her, Thalia had to help her stabilize herself as she sat next to her friend on the couch.

Annabeth spoke up softly, whispering as she tried in vain to hide her emotions. "Am I a terrible person?"

Thalia's eyes widened as she looked to her friend in shock. Why was she asking that? _Of course_ she wasn't. "No no no," Thalia cooed, placing a hand on Annabeth's. " _Why_ would you think that?"

Annabeth covered her mouth with her free hand, stopping a sob. "...Because I'd rather you and the hunters die than for Percy to." She looked to her oldest friend, but recoiled when their eyes met. " _How_ am I supposed to live with that? Thalia, you're my best and oldest friend, and I- I-, said that I'd rather you died-"

Thalia draped her arm around her friend, giving her a comforting hug. "You _didn't_ mean that, Annabeth." Thalia reassured her. "It was just your emotions talking. I'm not upset. _I understand_."

Annabeth let out a long breath. "...I know. I'm… just _scared_ for Percy." She looked to the closed door that hid her boyfriend then back to her friend. "I've already lost him, more than once. We thought... we _lost him_ when we retreated from Greece. Jason found him under a pile of rubble, half dead and unconscious. I didn't get to see him until a few days later. Will and the other healers _wouldn't let me_." She held up her hands in a praying gesture over her mouth. "Neither they or Percy would ever tell me how bad it was. Like after the _last time_ he went on a quest with Lady Artemis for a few days. I held him after he returned, his body was fine, thanks to the Curse of Achilles, but I could _sense something happened_."

Thalia's eyes widened slightly, she had been the only hunter that her Lady had confided in and told her _everything_ that happened. Including how Percy _had actually died_ for a few minutes before miraculously coming back. Lady Artemis had said that she did not understand _how_ this happened, but believed it to have been the will of a being older and more powerful than herself and the other Olympians. Thalia had also been sworn to secrecy, never allowed to tell a soul about what happened. Even Annabeth. And that hurt her heart more than anything. Especially considering the _true_ reason why Lady Artemis had ordered for her to have Percy join them on their journey.

Annabeth continued. "He thinks that he's protecting me by not telling me these things, but in reality the secrets only make me _even more_ worried for him. I can sleep at night when I know what to expect… but when he won't tell me _what_ he's going through? I just can't stand it."

Thalia bit the inside of her cheek, berating herself for going against orders but she _had_ to tell Annabeth what she could. She surprised her friend by suddenly grabbing her shoulder and knocking her out of her somber thoughts. "There's something that I _need_ to tell you, Annabeth, but I've sworn on the Styx not to tell anyone." The daughter of Athena noticed her serious tone and straightened up, listening.

"... _What_?" She asked, her eyes widening. "Is it about Percy?"

Thalia didn't reply, instead she gave a cautious look to the door and lowered her voice so low as to not be overheard, silently answering the question. "I can only say a few things, since I've sworn an oath, but there is… _discord_ among the gods and Lady Artemis feared that Percy might be unsafe at camp. So she ordered me to have him travel with the hunt. So _trust m_ e, he will be safest with us." Thunder boomed overhead, a not so subtle warning.

Thalia stood suddenly, giving her friend a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry, Annabeth, but the gods are always listening, I would be struck down if I said another word. I've said too much already."

Annabeth grabbed her arm. "Wait, that doesn't answer _anything_!" She cried. " _What's_ going to happen to Percy? _Why_ would he be in danger at camp? Camp is the safest place in the _world_ for demigods!"

"Not if the gods _are_ the danger." Thalia muttered under her breath, shooting an eye to the air above them, waiting to hear a warning from her father. None came however, perhaps the Fates were hiding her from her father for a brief moment, they had done so when Lady Artemis had told her months ago. Good. Thalia didn't care if it was considered insubordination to her father, when she heard of the danger Percy was in she cursed her father and verbally ripped him a new one. She had been disowned for her blatant disrespect and actions, but to her it was worth it. _Percy_ was worth it.

"What did you-." Annabeth started but was cut off by Thalia, taking the opportunity to speak as freely as she could.

"Listen carefully, Annabeth," Thalia said seriously, keeping her voice as low as possible as she eyed the ceiling cautiously. "We are being hidden from my father, but we don't have much time. I _need_ to tell you something."

Thalia finished whispering a quick message to Annabeth just as Percy emerged from his room. Thalia took a quick step back, giving Annabeth a look to not say anything. But if the stunned look on her face was anything to go by, she most likely wouldn't be saying anything for awhile after being delivered _that_ news.

"I'm ready to go, Thals." Percy spoke as he walked up next to them. Giving Annabeth a quick peck on the cheek before heading to the door. He was too worried to speak to her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from spilling out his soul to her if he started. He hated it, but he _also knew_ that in truth, Annabeth did not need any words from him to know how much he loved her. He had decided she was the woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with despite the gods refusing to let them marry. Despite the risk he was taking staying with her even when Athena refused to let him marry her daughter. He didn't care about the risks, he would do _anything_ for her, and Annabeth _knew_ that.

He left without looking back, as much as it killed him, and followed Thaia and the two other hunters out of camp and into the woods beyond the city.

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 **(Author's Note):**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you liked the first chapter of this story. I hope that the interactions between Percy and Annabeth didn't make anyone think that she was being too controlling or anything at first. Annabeth is just worried, rightfully so, that Percy could die if he keeps doing what he's doing and doesn't leave the greek world behind. It may have happened before this story started, but the two** _ **did**_ **promise each other to stop fighting and live the rest of their lives together. I hope that all came across well.**

 **So Percy is now traveling with the hunters, and will be for a few chapters. I'll most likely avoid most of the typical 'Percy in the hunt' cliches, since this is an older, wiser Percy that has earned the respect of Thalia and Artemis. And as Thalia said, most of the hunters** _ **at least**_ **respect his reputation and abilities. So they won't have the 'prank/hate on Percy' mindset like they would if Percy were meeting them for the first time.**

 **Like I said at the beginning, my OC will be showing up next chapter. Make sure you read the prequel story as well as the preview/sneak peek since he debuted in there.**

 **If you liked the chapter please let me know with a Review. I'd appreciate it if you Followed and Favorited me and this story as well. Once this story is done in like twenty something chapters I'll be doing a Pertemis story, so you don't want to miss that. I'll try to keep updating as often as possible.**

 **I'll see you guys next time, have a great day,**

 **Hephaestus**


	7. Ch 2 Part 1: Traveling With The Hunters

Chapter 2: Part 1, Traveling With The Hunters

 **(Author's Note):**

 **Hey everyone! How's it going? This Chapter 2 part 1 of 2. This chapter was already getting long so I figured I'd cut it into two parts so I could get something out sooner. Thanks to everyone who gave feedback! I have several things to say before I get to the story, they're story related so don't skip them or you'll be confused. I'll try to be as brief as possible.**

 _ **One**_ **, as I said before Percy is getting a new weapon based off of his dad's Trident. It isn't a godly weapon, so don't worry about that. It also won't make him OP. I tried to make it seem as if Uncle Rick came up with it. He received it after the Titans attempted to destroy the original Mount Olympus again eight months before this story. It is the same war I referenced last chapter that Percy almost died at that Annabeth was talking about. I will be explaining it more with flashbacks/memories/dialogue.**

 _ **Two**_ **, part 1 and 2 will have several time skips, so pay attention to them. They aren't anything huge, like months or years, but they matter to this story.**

 _ **Three**_ **, this chapter contains MATURE CONTENT. This story is in general a heavy T. The only reason why it isn't M is because I reserve M for lemons and smut, which I will NOT be writing. As you saw in the prequel stories, death, violence and war is a major part of this story(as is Percy Jackson in general). This chapter doesn't have much violence, but it does contain some brief discussion of Mature topics. The Hunters of Artemis are known for taking in girls who have been abused and used by men, so you can imagine what some of them have been through. It is very brief and isn't directly stated, but I do mention rape. It is NOT shown or described, only hinted at. If you are sensitive to that kind of stuff I am sorry, but I don't even call it by name in the story. I don't talk about it often, as I have a best friend who was raped and she told me about it, but I felt that it was acceptable to hint at but not state directly. If you have any concerns over it let me know. I don't shy away from violence, blood, war and mental issues, by rape is different for me. I treat it differently. Hope you understand.**

 **I post updates, info, polls and ask questions on Twitter so if you have one please consider following me.**

 **I'm all done now so go ahead and read the chapter. Remember to leave a Review and all that jazz once you're done. I'll see you at the bottom.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Traveling With The Hunters

 **(February 13, 2011 - Somewhere in the woods of Kentucky)**

It was finally on their third day of travel that Thalia declared that they would be able to set up camp for the entire night, as for the days prior they would only be given a few hours rest at night before continuing on their journey to Colorado. It was also on the third day that Percy finally had some time to try to get to know the hunters, as the constant travel and hunting made it difficult. His plan to try to befriend the hunters was _more than likely_ to fail, but he still tried his best. He didn't believe in letting their prejudices against men sway him from trying to be friendly and respectful.

It went about how you would expect at first. Percy _really_ wasn't trying to be rude or sexist or anything, but trying to befriend eleven eternally hormonal, abrasive, opinionated, man-hating pre-teen and teenage girls wasn't exactly easy or fun. One or two of the hunters who had been hurt and used by men still treated him like the plague, sneering at him and muttering to each other under their breaths about a _male_ being in the hunt. While some hunters, like the younger of the two Tiffany's, who was the youngest hunter at only a few months over seven, as well as the younger hunters- which there were _alot_ of, more than he expected- had accepted him as a friend, or as a hero figure to the more impressionable young girls. But a few of the older hunters just gave him a wide berth, ignoring him while being neither kind nor rude. But none were openly hostile, as Thalia told him that Artemis ordered the hunters to respect Percy and treat them as one of their own. All of the hunters followed this order except one.

That being Medeia, the eldest girl in the hunt as well as the one who put a knife to his throat back at camp for not prefacing Artemis' name with 'Lady'. So _yeah_ , Percy wasn't exactly expecting her to welcome him with open arms and sing kumbaya with him, but it was like Medeia had a personal grudge against _him_ in particular. And it was something _besides_ him being a male, he could tell. But what it was, Percy honestly had no idea. Maybe she had had a rough experience with a son of Poseidon in her long life as a hunter, he didn't know.

It was about an hour before sunset when they started to set up camp. Percy planned to set up his tent as far away from the hunters to avoid being filleted alive in his sleep, but it seems that Thalia planned to go ahead with her idea to try to have the hunters accept Percy. So she had him set up his tent right next to hers, in other words _right at the center of the camp_. Percy hadn't been this uncomfortable since he foolishly agreed to sign up for that 'boyfriend for a day charity auction' that they held at camp the previous summer that the Aphrodite cabin ran. Drew had almost won a date with him, but thankfully Piper was able to use her dad's fame to get a large sum of money together and outbid her and won the right to take him out on a date that day. They made popcorn and watched bad movies in his apartment, Annabeth approved and joined them, by the way, he didn't _actually_ go on a real date with Piper.

"Alright, everyone. Gather 'round." Thalia called out as the girls finished putting up their tents. Once everyone was more or less in a circle around the fire, she continued. "Before we start evening chores, I want everyone to introduce themselves to Percy. He will be staying with us for the immediate future so we should all try to get along."

Several groans were heard from the older hunters, but mostly from Medeia and her friend _and flunkie_ , Alexandra, who seemed to agree with everything Medeia had to say. "But why must we do that, Thalia?" The older of the two Tiffany's asked, sending a look of distaste to Percy. "He is a _male_ , I have no intention to befriend _him_."

Thalia only gave the girl a glare. " _Because,_ Lady Artemis _ordered_ us to." She reminded them all, giving a glare to all of them except the younger girls that didn't seem to have much problem with Percy. But that was to be expected, as the newest hunters wouldn't have been conditioned to hate males yet. Thalia ignored the returned glare from Medeia and continued. "You all know as well as I do that Lady Artemis told us to trust Percy. I can vouch for him."

"You say that as if thine word held any substance." Medeia remarked, crossing her arms over her chest and standing with a posture that indicated she was not interested in the conversation. "I do not trust _any_ male. _Regardless_ of thine familiarity with them."

Percy tried his best to not react to what he heard. He only eyed the other girls in the hunt to see their reaction. Thalia looked irritated, as would be expected. Cleo, Thalia's best friend in the hunt, just rolled her eyes lazily like Medeia irritating Thalia was an everyday occurance. While the youngest hunters- which had all joined in the last _two months_ , which surprised Percy- wore looks of confusion and surprise. Percy heard Thalia mumble something under her breath that he assumed wasn't flattering towards Medeia before facing the veteran hunter. "Since you seem to be so determined to talk, why don't _you_ start, Medeia? Introduce yourself to Percy, tell him who you are and how long you have been in our hunt."

Medeia, to her credit, resisted returning with a snide remark. Instead she moved her eyes to Percy, letting them stop and fall to the ground before fully reaching him. "I am Medeia." She had an unrecognizable accent, though Percy could tell from it and her speech pattern that it was a form of old english. Like Zoë, but not as charming. "I hath been in Lady Artemis' hunt since the gods were still in Greece. I joined the hunt a few years after Zoë did." Her eyes finally met Percy's, they were cold and vile. "She and I were best friends, until she fell in battle saving _you_ and that daughter of Athena."

Percy didn't miss the not so subtle implication, Medeia blamed him for Zoë's death. His heart sank a little at hearing his old friend's name. Her death had always been a point of change in Percy's life. It was the first time he had seen a friend die in front of him like that. In a way Zoë's death helped him grow up. It took some time, and some words from Artemis, but Percy learned to not blame himself for what happened. Percy was going to say something but Thalia beat him to it.

"That's _enough_ , Medeia," Thalia spoke up, giving the older girl a stink eye. "Lady Artemis _told you_ that he was not to blame for Zoë's death."

Medeia only gave Percy a hard look, mumbling under her breath just loud enough for them to hear. "But he _is_ responsible for our dozen fallen sisters." As soon as those final words left her mouth Medeia turned on the spot and headed away from the group and into the trees, making Percy even more confused about why she hated him and what she meant by that.

"Wait," Percy started, looking at the retreating back of Medeia. Alexandra took a second but quickly went to follow her friend. "What do you mean by that?" She didn't reply so he looked towards Thalia. "What does she-?"

"Nothing." Thalia quickly interrupted him. She sent a final glare in warning to the remaining older hunters, which there were only two besides herself, Medeia and Alexandra. Something that greatly surprised Percy. He was told by Thalia when they left camp three days ago that the hunters currently only had eleven hunters in total. And that five of their eleven were all new and recently recruited in the past two months. When Percy tried asking Thalia why their numbers were so low from the last time he saw them she got suddenly quiet and her face dropped for a quick second before returning to her usual self. She then brushed off his question and immediately started a conversation about something else. Percy didn't miss her avoiding the question at all, but he let it go. Assuming that something happened that she didn't want to talk about and he figured that she'd tell him once she was ready.

He could also sense that Thalia was tense about something. She eyed the shadows in the forest around them as if she expected something to burst from them and attack the group. Tension was also _very_ high at camp ever since the gods went silent, so Percy assumed that Thalia was nervous about Artemis being gone. But something in his gut told him that something _else_ was bothering her. Maybe it was whatever she was trying to hide from him. He took a half step closer to his cousin.

"No, _not_ nothing." He started, his eyes drifting from where Medeia were and Thalia. "What does she mean _I_ am responsible for fallen hunters? Thals, _what's_ going on?"

Thalia's eyes dropped to the ground. "I'll explain later, _in private_." She then glanced at Cleo, her best friend. Cleo seemed to understand the message, she put on a smile that was previously absent and took a few steps towards Percy, holding out her hand to him.

"Why don't we continue our introductions, eh? I'm Cleo." She introduced herself. "I've been in the hunt for thirty two years now. In fact I'm the second youngest of the quote unquote 'older hunters'. Thalia has spoken highly of you, as well has Lady Artemis. I'm looking forward to getting to know "the only decent man in history" that our Lady spoke of."

Percy hesitated, thinking about what Thalia said before letting it go and taking Cleo's outstretched hand. She had a strong grip, for a girl in a twelve year old body, but not like she was trying to intimidate him or anything, but just because she was naturally strong. He gave her a smile.

"I don't know about being the _only_ one, but I appreciate the compliment." He smiled. They dropped their hands and she took a half step back to stand next to Thalia. "Who's the youngest 'older' hunter then?" He asked.

Cleo pointed her thumb towards Thalia. "Our fearless Lieutenant here is. She's still a _wittle baby_ to us hunters." She answered, giving the daughter of Zeus a grin. She then gestured to the hunter besides her. She had dark hair, was fairly short, even for being in an eleven or twelve year old body, and had sharp facial features. "Why don't you introduce yourself, Tiffany?"

The girl in question straightened up and faced Percy, her eyes hard but not openly aggressive like Medeia's. She dropped her scowl from earlier but made no move to shake his hand. "I mean no disrespect, male, _more or less_ , but I require _more_ than Lady Artemis' and Thalia's word to trust you. I will decide for myself if you are worthy of my respect." She gave Thalia a quick look like ' _I will remain civil until he slips up and I can drive my dagger into his heart_ ' before returning her eyes to Percy. "I have been in the hunt for forty five years, in case you care."

Percy just gave a shrug and let her words not get to him. It took more than that to bug him these days. "That's fine," Percy said, giving her a kind smile. "I understand. You girls have been through some bad stuff and a lot of it involved guys, so I won't take offense. We have a few kids at camp who've gone through some messed up stuff too. Just treat me like I treat you and we'll get along swimmingly." The younger Tiffany that had already introduced herself to him giggled into her hand.

Thalia groaned. "Was that a _pun_ , Percy?"

Percy blinked, realizing what he said. "Nope, but I _wish_ it was. It was good."

Thalia only rolled her eyes. "How Annabeth puts up with you, I'll never know-"

" _Hey_." He interjected.

"-So, who's next?" Thalia looked to the remaining hunters. The next hunter stepped up to him, her hand out like Cleo's was. She was slightly taller than the older Tiffany, with long brown hair and a round face.

"I guess that would be me. Hello, I am Edith, the hunt's cook. I cook all the meat we hunt and prepare all of the wild vegetables we gather. It's nice to finally meet you, Percy. I have also heard tale of you from our Lady and Thalia." She held her hand out to him and he shook it, returning the warm smile she gave him. It was a relief to learn that not all of the hunters hated him on principle. "As long as you help prepare our meals I have no problem with you, champion of the gods."

"Nice to meet you too, Edith." He said as he released her hand. "I might not be a master chef or anything, but my mom taught me a thing or two about cooking so I wouldn't quote, 'remain a lonely bachelor forever'. I usually cook for my girlfriend, Annabeth, since she can't cook to save her life, whenever I have time when I'm not teaching a class or something at camp."

Edith smiled. "Good to hear, Percy. You won't _believe_ how much these girls eat everyday, I could really use the help." She looked to the setting sun and let out a sigh. "Speaking of that, I'd better get started on dinner. I swear, I've been in charge of meals since I joined during WWI and it still hasn't gotten any easier after all these decades." With that she ventured off to one of the larger tents at the center of the camp and went inside, which was most likely where all the food was.

The remaining five hunters, who were all new, introduced themselves to him next. They were all as friendly as Cleo and Edith were. The first was the younger Tiffany, who Percy had already met and had started to call 'lil T' because she was so small, who had only been with the hunters for a few weeks and was just over seven years old. The next was Megan, a twelve year old girl from Miami that had joined the hunters one month ago. After her was Donna who was eight and a half, the half was _very_ important, she said, who was the second youngest hunter after lil T and had joined the hunters two months ago. After her were Riza and Mika, who were ten and eleven respectively, they had both only been in the hunt for a month.

oooOooo

After introductions, Thalia issued out chores around camp while dinner was being prepared. The older Tiffany took Megan and Mika out to hunt whatever dinner they could find in the short amount of daylight they had left. With Medeia and Alexandra who knows where, "pouting" as Thalia muttered, the rest of the chores were left to the six of them. Thalia stayed back at camp with Donna and Riza teaching the two new hunters how to sharpen arrows and daggers while Percy, Cleo and lil T were tasked with gathering firewood and wild vegetables as they patrolled around the camp for monsters. Percy didn't fail to notice that _he_ had been sent out to scout for monsters with a veteran hunter, confirming to him that Thalia _was_ paranoid about being attacked by monsters. He did figure that his scent had to be attracting every monster in the state towards them, but at the same time he knew that most smart monsters _avoided_ his scent now. So he didn't know if his being there was a hindrance or help for the hunters.

Lil T stuck next to Percy as they patrolled, with the young girl asking Cleo if the various berries could be eaten in between asking Percy about himself. As soon as she learned that Percy was a bit of a hero, the little girl couldn't keep her excitement under control.

"Did you _really_ fight a _Hydro_ like big sis Thalia said, Percy?" The little girl practically bounced as she spoke. Percy had no idea how she had so much energy left after traveling on foot for the entire day. Even he with his improved demigod abilities and training was exhausted by the long day of running.

"Its _Hydra_ , lil T. Not _Hydro_ , that means water," Percy corrected as he continued to survey the trees and brush around him for signs of monsters. He hadn't spotted any so far, only spotted some rabbits and mice along with some chirping birds. "And yeah, I fought one before. Several, actually."

The little girl made a gasping sound. " _Really_? Can you teach me to fight one too?"

"Yeah, _really_." He gave the girl a look as he checked a tree for broken branches. "What, you think I'm _lying_ to you?" His voice was light, the smile on his face telling everyone but the unknowing little girl that he was just messing with her.

The young girl shook her head vigorously, her medium length hair shaking. "Lady Artemis showed me a picture of a Hydra when she told us to hunt it." The shine left her eyes momentarily. "It was _really_ scary looking! And _so_ big! Weren't you scared?"

Percy hesitated for a second, he always tried to be as honest as possible with the youngest campers about the dangers the Greek world had to offer, but lil T was just _so young_ , only seven years old, innocent and unaware of the dangers of the real and Greek world. So he settled for the watered down version. "I was a little scared, yeah." He told the little girl. He noticed Cleo, Thalia's friend watch him with a small smile on her face as he interacted with the young, energetic girl. "But I had my friends with me the first few times I had to fight them. So it wasn't _too_ bad. Thalia and I will be there with you when we have to fight it, so don't worry."

He gave the small girl a more serious look. "I'm sure that Thalia, Artemis and the older hunters have told you how fun it is to be a hunter, right?"

The little girl nodded her head so much her body shook. "Yeah!" She exclaimed, her words coming out faster and faster as she went. "Lady Artemis gets angry sometimes but she's _so nice_! And big sis Thalia taught me how to hold my bow and Cleo showed me how to walk so the deer wouldn't hear me and Edith makes these yummy little bread thingies for breakfast sometimes and she even puts chocolate in them sometimes whenever I'm good and Lady Artemis isn't looking and-."

"That all sounds _so_ cool." Percy interrupted the girl, having the feeling that if he didn't that she would talk his ear off all night and he wouldn't be able to finish what he was saying. "I remember feeling the same way when I went to camp for the first time." That wasn't entirely the truth, since his first few days at camp weren't really the best with being bullied, treated like the plague and sent on a life or death quest to retrieve something he was being accused of having stolen. _But she didn't need to know that_. "But I'm sure that they also told you about how important it was to follow the rules and orders, right?"

If lil T was surprised by his sudden change of topic she didn't show it. Though Percy noticed Cleo watch him carefully as she gathered a bundle of firewood. Lil T nodded. "Yeah, Lady Artemis told me that if I don't listen to my sisters then I could get hurt."

This time Percy nodded. "That's _right_ ," He paused to listen to a rustle in a bush a ways off, dismissing it after a few seconds. The constantly chirping birds made it hard to focus on subtle sounds but he was able to drown them out after a little bit. "You can get hurt if you play with a knife or a bow, right?" The little girl nodded. "And you know that hunts can be _really_ dangerous if you don't listen to your sisters, right?" Lil T nodded again. "So will you listen to whatever I, Thalia and your sisters tell you when we're hunting the Hydra since we've fought one before? _If_ I agree to teach you how to fight will you _promise_ that you'll listen to everything I say no matter if you don't like or understand it?"

The little girl wore a contemplating face for a few seconds before looking up to him and nodding like a maniac. "Yes! I promise!" She declared.

Percy stopped walking briefly, stopped beside the girl and dropped to a knee to look her in the eye. He held out his pinky finger. "Do you pinky promise?"

Lil T nodded, holding out her own tiny pinky finger to him. He held it with his own and shook it. He stood back up, ruffling her hair as he did. She let out a giggling "don't". He smiled at her reaction. "Then we'll start after we eat dinner _and_ _after you finish any chores Thalia has for you_."

" _Ahhh_!" The little girl puffed her cheeks, letting out a little 'hmph' as she did for a quick second before running off to the next bush a few paces away to inspect the berries on them.

"Wait, Tiffany," Cleo called out. "Don't touch those until I get a good look at them." The older hunter stopped next to Percy and lowered her voice so that the younger girl couldn't hear. "I'll admit, _I'm impressed_. You handled that conversation with Tiffany very well. It's always hard to talk to young kids about dangerous things but you handled it like a champ."

Percy gave an 'It's no problem' shrug. "We get young kids at camp all the time. And I've taught more kids how to hold a sword than I can remember. I've had to have the ' _this isn't a game, people can die_ ' talk with some of them before. This one kid, Nico-." He stopped suddenly, his eyes surveying the forest around them, his eyes constantly moving.

Cleo gave him a questioning look. "You seem as if you are recalling a memory. Did something-."

"No." Percy spoke suddenly, cutting the hunter off and placing a hand on her shoulder and pivoting her to his side. To her credit the hunter didn't seem to get upset that he touched her(which he figured only Thalia, herself and lil T wouldn't care), sensing that he had noticed something she hadn't. "Somethings… _wrong_."

"What?" The older hunter asked, her own eyes scanning the trees around them.

Percy's eyes glanced upwards. "The birds, they've _stopped_ chirping." His eyes then widened suddenly and he shot out to where lil T was examining the berry bush. "Lil T, get back here-!"

"Rrraaawwwrrr!" A mass of abyss black fur suddenly burst over the bush lil T was kneeled in front of only to find it's snout punched in by the son of Poseidon mid leap. Only once it was one the ground and shaking its head did Percy recognize it as a Hellhound. A _massive_ Hellhound.

"Lil T, get behind Cleo and draw your dagger but don't try to fight it!" Percy ordered, standing in front of the two girls with his left arm held out in front of them as his right reached for his pocket. "Cleo, try to get lil T back to the camp if you can and warn Thalia, Hellhounds _always_ travel in a pack."

"It's a doggie!" Lil T cried, looking at the small horse sized dog that had just tried to attack her. "What're you-."

" _No_ , Tiffany." Cleo interrupted. "It's a _Monster_ , a Hellhound. It's _really_ dangerous so stay behind me."

"But-."

"You _pinky promised_ that you'd listen to orders," Percy spoke out as he continued his stare down with the Hellhound. "So follow them and listen to what you're told." He drew Riptide and took an aggressive step forwards to scare the Monster, waving the sword around more than he would in a straight up fight.

"Ok." The little girl nodded, hiding behind Cleo just as another two Hellhounds tore through the bushes on either side of them and snarled. They were larger than the average Hellhounds he fought, about the size of a large horse and had red glowing eyes like rubies from the pits of _Hades_ , their teeth were like piercing daggers and their claws like black steel.

" _Dammit_ ," Percy muttered to himself. "This would be a piece of cake if lil T wasn't here. I'll have to trust Cleo to watch her so I can focus on the fight." Without wasting a second he rushed at the nearest Hellhound and introduced it's head to Riptide. The mass of fur and teeth let out a brief howl of pain before dropping to the ground and turning into a falling mass of dust.

Percy sidestepped the next Hellhound, pivoting on the spot and driving his sword deep into its stomach. It didn't fall, however, but continued to snap its vice like jaws at his face.

"Grrr!" A low rumble of a growl alerted Percy to _another_ Hellhound stalking low to the ground behind him, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Percy didn't give it the opportunity however and charged it with his Curse of Achilles increased speed, slashing at it with perfect form.

"That's two," He muttered to himself, continuously looking around the trees for signs of more monsters. From the corner of his eye he could see Cleo raise her bow and fire a barrage of arrows and send another Hellhound to _Tartarus_. "But as long as it's Hellhounds I have _nothing_ to worry about."

And of course the Fates just had to spite him. As seemed to be his entire life.

Without warning a tree next to the group exploded into a million splinters by an enormous wooden club. Attached to said club was an even more enormous arm. A _blue skinned arm_.

"Awe _Hades_ … Why do the Fates hate me?" Percy mumbled under his breath as he saw his new opponent. A thirty foot **(9.1m)** blue skinned and grey haired giant with frost forming around his open mouth.

"W-what is _that_?" Lil T cried from behind Cleo. Percy and the older hunter spoke up at the same time.

"It's a Canadian." "It's a Hyperborean."

Cleo looked at the son of Poseidon with an odd look. "Did you just say _Canadian_?"

Percy gave a shrug. "They're from Canada, so, Canadian." He took a few steps forward to the Hyperborean Giant. He knew that they were usually peaceful, emphasis on _usually_ , but could be easily swayed by other Monsters and Titans. Hopefully this one wasn't feeling too motivated to squash him like a bug. He risked a quick glance at Cleo. "Do you have anything else besides that bow? Your arrows will only piss this guy off."

The hunter nodded her head. "Yes, but only a dagger, it won't do much to him either-." Cleo was cut off when Percy gently tossed Riptide over to her. She caught it without a problem but looked at him with a surprised look on her face. "You'd give me your sword? _Why_?"

Percy maintained his glare with the Hyperborean, so far it didn't seem too interested to fight them without an order to. Hopefully it's order never arrives. The son of the Sea reached up to his necklace, feeling the clay beads on it before finding the coin sized, circular Celestial Bronze charm with a trident at the center. "You need it more than I do right now. Just focus on getting lil T to camp while I keep them busy." He closed his eyes momentarily, concentrating, sensing the push and pull of the waves, the rumble of the earth below his feet and storms in the skies above him. His charm began to glow slightly. "Besides, I have _more than one weapon._ And it's been awhile since I've been able to let loose with it."

It was at this very moment that the Hyperborean decided to get motivated and charged him, it's stomping feet causing mini tremors in the ground. Either that or it was the weapon Poseidon gave his son, it was hard to tell.

"Demigod!" The behemoth roared as it neared Percy, it's massive tree of a club high over its head. The giant reached Percy just as the ethereal glowing around the son of Poseidon died down.

"Gaaahhh!" The giant let out a cry of pain, flying back a few dozen feet into a wall of trees.

Cleo looked to where Percy stood, his feet set apart in a wide stance and a seven foot **(2.1m)** glowing Celestial Bronze trident held out in front of him from a strike. The prongs of the trident were lightly smoking.

"What in _Hades_ was that?" Cleo cried, looking back and forth from the fallen Hyperborean and Percy. Said son of Poseidon dropped his stance and placed the pommel of his trident on the ground.

"It's a gift from my dad after I used _his_ trident when the Titans tried a second time to attack the original Mount Olympus eight months ago." Percy answered, still giving the unconscious Hyperborean on the ground as well as the surrounding Hellhounds his full attention. "I'm able to transfer the energy from my body into it and release it as a blast of energy. But _only_ upon contact, I can't shoot energy beams or anything. Which _really_ was a let down, but eh, what're you gonna do?"

"That's awesome!" Lil T cried from behind Cleo despite the situation. Percy gave her a smile to reassure her that everything was going to be alright.

Percy pointed his trident at the nearest Hellhound, a low hum surrounding the weapon. "It's nothing like my dad's, since Zeus wouldn't let me have a godly weapon like he wanted to give me," He paused to impale a Hellhound that tried to leap at him in the stomach, it turned to dust like the others. "But it _does_ grant me better control over my non water powers." He slammed the pommel of the trident to the ground causing a tremor to spiderweb out around him with more power the further it got. By the time it reached the Hellhounds the earth opened up and some of the Monsters fell in while some were struck by protruding earth.

Cleo used Riptide to dispatch the remaining Hellhounds that managed to get close to them. Percy could tell that she hadn't been trained on sword fighting professionally, but she was more than adept in using them. Maybe Artemis really had gone ahead with her plan to teach her hunters the art of swordsmanship like she told him last time they spoke.

"That makes all of them that I can see." Percy once again stood his trident up on the ground, leaning against it as if it were holding him up. He scanned the eerie darkness of the trees around them, looking for any more monsters. "Let's get to camp. We would stand a better chance as a larger group. We don't want to risk staying in these trees any later, the night belongs to Monsters."

"But you'll beat them all!" Lil T smiled as she ran up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug, he tried his best not to wince. "You're so strong!"

"Thanks, lil T." He smiled. "But being strong isn't the same thing as being invincible, I still have to be careful." As if he meant to demonstrate, he picked up his trident with a groan of pain as he clutched his side. "My trident takes a lot out of me, the recoil deals some of the damage back on me. So I don't usually use it unless I have to."

The little girl gave him look like he was crazy. "Well that was a dumb idea!" She said with a 'what were you thinking' tone. "Why would you want to hurt yourself?"

The trident disappeared in his hand and took its spot at the center of his pendant. "It wasn't my idea, lil T." He told the little girl as he took Riptide back from Cleo, carrying it as they made their way away from the passed out Hyperborean. "It's not like I _want_ it to hurt me, but powerful magic takes a toll on whatever is casting it. In this case it's my body. That's why my girlfriend doesn't like me using it, so tell her, 'kay?"

Lil T looked like she was going to speak up but Cleo beat her to it. "How about we get back to the others, eh Tiffany? Percy can show you some moves after we talk to Thalia about what we saw."

oooOooo

 **(February 20, 2011 - A forest in Colorado)**

Percy's nerves were starting to get to him. He felt like either punching something or slamming his head into a wall.

It had been seven days since their first run in with Monsters, and it certainly wasn't their last. Random hordes of Monsters plagued them nearly every day now. They weren't usually that bad, and they hadn't had to fight anything as powerful as a Hyperborean Giant again, with the hordes usually consisting of Hellhounds, a few Empousa, the occasional Cyclops and maybe the random few Karpoi. So nothing too dangerous. No, it _wasn't_ the Monsters that were getting to Percy, but one specific hunter that had seemingly made it her life's goal to harass and irritate him. Right about now she was most likely filling the new hunter's ears with lies about him being a coward.

He usually wouldn't mind, since it was all just talk and his reputation wasn't really that important to him, but Medeia was going a little too far. She was telling the new( _and young_ ) hunters that he was going to grow up like every other man and disrespect and take advantage of girls like them. Now _that_ , wasn't just something Percy could ignore. And it seems neither could Thalia. So when Thalia heard that Medeia was lying to the girls about Percy she went to her tent, bringing Percy with her as she did so.

"Stop filling their heads with lies, Medeia." Thalia ordered, barging into the tent and interrupting the veteran hunter as she told the younger girls stories about the cruelty of men that would _no doubt_ give them nightmares for the coming weeks. Thalia looked to the younger girls with a reassuring smile and rested her arm on Percy's shoulder as he stood next to her. "Don't listen to Medeia, girls. She doesn't know _what_ shes talking about. Percy's the nicest guy in the world." She sent a quick glare towards Medeia that the older girl returned. "Lady Artemis trusts him, so that should tell you all you need to know about him."

Donna, the second youngest hunter at eight, gave Thalia a look of relief, as if she was told something horrible. " _That's_ good, I don't want to be sold to some old guy as his wife."

Silence filled the tent for a good half minute before Thalia bent down in front of the young girl with a look of shock and confusion on her face. "W-what?" She looked to the five young girls sitting around Medeia in a small circle, their tensed shoulders and arms wrapped around their knees gave away their fright. " _What_ was she teaching you?" She gave the older girl an incredulous look. "Medeia, you were _supposed_ to be telling them the history of the hunters, _not_ telling them that they'd have to marry old men."

"But it _is_ the history of the hunters, _Lieutenant_." Medeia spoke with a snarky tone, saying 'lieutenant' like an insult. "The hunters of Artemis have _always_ had to suffer because of the world of men. I was _merely_ informing them about the real world. If they were to ever stray from the hunt they would be forced to endure the hardships of the world without us." She said all of this with a straight look on her face, like she was completely serious, which she very well might have been. "It is common place for young girls to be stolen or sold as wives. I was merely warning our newest hunters of befriending _males_ ," She sent a glare to Percy. "They are _all_ the same. They will _all_ eventually take advantage of us given the chance. I felt that it was _necessary_ to teach them about the dangers of living with a _male_. If _he_ were to sneak into one of their tents at night-."

" _That is_ _ **enough**_ _!_ " Thalia yelled, her voice filling the small space. She reached for lil T who looked terrified, picking the little girl up and wrapping her arms around her in a hug. After the girl no longer looked like she was about to cry, Thalia stuck her head outside the tent and called for Cleo to collect the girls and have them start afternoon chores. Once the younger hunters left only Thalia, Percy and Medeia remained in the tent.

Thalia's jaw was set tight and her fists were clenched, she was visibly seething, shaking like she was about to explode. Percy wasn't any better, Medeia insulting him around the young hunters was one thing, so was disrespecting him, but _that_ , suggesting that he would… _no_ , _unacceptable_. Percy had decided to stick with the hunters until they found the elder _Hydra_ but he couldn't take Medeia's words anymore. This was the first time since they left New York that he was seriously considering leaving the hunt and going back to camp. Going back to _Annabeth_.

Thalia spoke up, her voice deathly calm, disguising her rage. She stormed right up to Medeia and stopped so close to her that their noses were almost touching. "How _dare_ you!" Before Percy could stop her and faster than Medeia could react, Thalia pulled back her hand and struck the other girl open-palmed right on the face.

'SLAP!' The strike sounded through the small enclosed space and the ringing afterwards was the only thing that could be heard for what felt like an eternity. After some time Medeia faced Thalia again, holding her red cheek, giving the daughter of Zeus a glare that could have frightened a Monster.

"What was-." Medeia started to only be cut off by the daughter of Zeus when she stepped up to her again.

"How _dare_ you!" Thalia repeated, interrupting the older girl. "How could you _seriously_ almost say that in front of those girls!?" She demanded. "Tiffany is only _seven_ and Donna is _eight_ , they _don't_ need to learn about _that_! They _especially_ don't need to be told that _Percy_ of all people would do that to them! You're lucky that none of them seemed to understand what you were about to say! Do you _know_ what kind of damage you could have caused? Those girls looked frightened out of their minds!"

Medeia's face grew hard. "I was merely teaching the girls the dangers of befriending _males_!" She yelled back. "They will _always_ take advantage of us!"

"I would _never_ do that!" Percy yelled this time, fed up with Medeia. He usually ignored her and let her do as she pleased but no more. He was _done_ with her. He was so pissed that he wasn't sure if _his body_ was shaking or if it was the _earth_ below him. As a child of Poseidon it could realistically be either at this point. "I care for lil T and the rest of those girls like sisters! I would _never_ sneak into their tents and… and-" He shook his head vigorously as if he was trying to shake those thoughts out of his head before waking up next to Medeia quickly. The smaller girl took a subconscious step backwards towards the wall of the tent as he did.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" He demanded. "I know a girl at camp who had to go through that, how _dare_ you suggest I'd do something like that! I was raised by my _single_ mom to be a gentleman and to _always_ respect woman. I would _never-_ , Do you _really_ hate me so much that you'd try to tell those girls that they need to be afraid of me? That I'd take advantage of them like that? Why?"

" _Yes_!" She cried. "Yes, I do hate you, _male_! Was it not obvious?"

He gave her an astonished look. "What did I ever do to you?" Percy asked. "I've been _nothing_ but kind, respectful and helpful. I help with cooking, I collect firewood, I sharpen arrows, I'm teaching the younger girls how to fight, I even help do laundry! So what did I do to you? If I insulted you or was disrespectful, _I'm sorry_ , I didn't even mean to-."

"I do not want _your_ apology, _male_." She spit out. "I wish for you to leave our hunt. You will bring nothing but death, misery and will only end up getting the rest of us killed!"

Percy's eyes narrowed, his voice was lower, no longer a yell but still filled with tension. "What do you mean _getting the rest of you killed_?"

Medeia didn't reply but Thalia's breath hitched and Percy knew that they knew something that they weren't telling him. Maybe it was whatever Thalia said she'd tell him a week ago.

Percy took a step closer to his cousin and placed a hand on her shorter shoulder. "Thals, _what_ is she talking about?"

"I-." Thalia started to talk but Medeia cut her off.

"I am _talking_ about how you got Zoë and twelve other of our sisters killed!" Medeia cried, pointing an accusing finger at him, tears could be seen forming around her eyes and her body was shaking. " _You_ are to blame for their deaths! If it were not for _you_ then they would all still be here!"

The entire tent was void of silence for so long Percy felt as if he had gone deaf to the world. After some time he spoke up, his voice soft and confused. "What?" He asked, facing Medeia and giving her a genuine worried look. "What do you mean _I'm_ to blame? Id _never_ kill let alone hurt any hunter."

The veteran hunter collapsed to the floor of the tent and leaned against a post, holding her face in her hands. After a few seconds of silence it was obvious that she wasn't going to say anything, so Percy looked to his cousin instead for answers. "Thalia," His voice was low, like he was speaking to a frightened animal. "What is she talking about?"

Thalia let out a long breath and sat down herself, a good ways away from Medeia and patted the spot next to her, Percy got the hint and sat as well. Thalia was biting her lip nervously and was combing her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. After a few more seconds of silence she spoke up.

"Two and a half months ago… we lost twelve hunters on a hunt." The daughter of Zeus looked to Medeia and placed a comforting hand on her arm, the older girl looked surprised by her action but didn't make to remove her hand. She only kept forcing her tears from falling and held back her sobs. After Thalia let out another breath she continued. "You asked why we only had eleven hunters and wondered why almost half of them were new, well, that's because twelve of them were killed."

Thalia bite her lip to keep her composure. Percy was astonished. He assumed that _something_ had to had happened but he _never_ expected something like this. The Hunters of Artemis were known throughout the Greek world as being some of the fiercest fighters, who in their right mind would kill twelve of them? And what could do such a thing?

Percy cleared his throat. "What in the god's names could _do_ that?" He asked. "What kind of Monster could take down _twelve_ hunters? Was it the _Hydra_ we're hunting?"

Thalia shook her head once. "No, it wasn't the _Hydra_ -."

"We don't know _what_ it was." Medeia cut in, surprising the two. Percy turned to her.

"Well you _have_ to have an idea," He prompted. "You are the hunters of Artemis. You've had to fight every Monster by now. Perhaps Artemis recognized it-."

"Lady Artemis _wasn't_ there." Medeia spoke up deathly calm, looking at Percy, but her eyes no longer held the same fire in them, only deep sadness. "She left us to go on a solo hunt for a few weeks, instructing us to continue our duties without her."

"...What happened?" Percy asked.

"We split up into two groups." Thalia started. "Several of our hunters had gotten hurt on a previous hunt so I had Ashley take a few of our sisters out on a hunting trip. Just to collect berries, wild vegetables and to snare a few rabbits, it was _normal_ , y'know, we had done it a hundred times." Thalia raised her hand to her mouth, holding back a sob. Percy placed an arm around her shoulders to help comfort his cousin. "We didn't think anything was wrong until one of our sisters didn't come back. So I sent Ashley back out with ten of our sisters to find her, they didn't come back that night either…" Her breath hitched as she held back a sob. "We found all twelve of them dead in the woods the next morning. They had been murdered."

" _Slaughtered_." Medeia corrected, eyeing the smoldering fire in the tent. "They were slaughtered by a beast. Their bodies broken, limbs torn off, impaled by their own arrows, ripped apart as if they were dolls." She moved her eyes to Percy's. "We have _no idea_ what beast killed them, but whatever it was, it _wasn't_ a Monster."

"Then what _was_ it?" Percy asked her. "A minor Titan or something?"

Medeia only shrugged. "We do not know. We could find no tracks, no hairs, no other blood, no signs of any kind as to what killed them." She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "But whatever it was _toyed_ with them before killing them. _That_ we are sure of."

Thalia let out a cry beside him. He increased his hold on her shoulders, trying his best to comfort one of his oldest friends. He faced Medeia again. "But where was Artemis? Why didn't she help them?" He asked.

Medeia bit her lip and turned her face away from him. Thalia spoke up next to him. "Because she was with _you_ , Percy. Lady Artemis was off hunting that earth deity with you when, _whatever_ it was, killed our sisters."

Percy was silent as he let that sink in. No wonder why Medeia hated him, _he_ was helping Artemis fight the earth deity. The earth deity was blocking Artemis' contact with the other gods, it must have also been blocking her vision of her hunters. He had _no_ idea, Artemis hadn't told him anything about this. He hadn't even seen her after they went to get some lunch two weeks after they beat the earth deity. Percy looked to Medeia, all hostility towards this girl washed away.

"I'm sorry," He spoke softly. "I _swear_ that I had no idea. This is the first I've heard of this. I- I." He didn't know what to say, he didn't have any words. Nothing he could say would bring their sisters back and there was nothing he could do to make her feel better. But he could always do one thing.

"Medeia," He spoke her name a little louder, a serious tone in his voice. "I _swear_ to you that I will do everything in my power to keep the hunters safe as we hunt the _Hydra_ " He formed a fist and put it over his heart. " _Not_ to make up for their deaths or anything, but to make sure that no other hunter dies." Medeia looked up to his eyes, an astonished look on her face.

"...Percy…" Thalia mumbled.

Percy straightened his back and sat up fully. "I've lost people too, Beckendorf, Zoë, Bianca, Silena, Ethan, Lee, Michael, Connor Stoll, Butch and twenty four other campers in the second war of Mount Olympus eight months ago, and their deaths are on me. I wasn't able to save them," He looked right at Medeia, a sense of determination in his eyes. "So let me protect your hunters."

Medeia stared at him for several seconds before letting out a breath and shaking her head. "No wonder Lady Artemis respects you," She muttered under her breath but loud enough for them to hear. "You are unbelievable… I… _apologize_ for my actions, young man, but I will stand by my beliefs. I will accept you into our hunt, but nothing more. I have experienced too much to let go of my prejudices in one day."

Percy gave a shrug before holding out his hand to her. "I understand. Don't worry about it, I don't hold grudges. We don't have to be friends, but how about acquaintances? How about we just start over? I'm Percy."

The girl eyed his hands for a few seconds before taking it and giving it a brief shake. "Medeia." She said before dropping his hand. "If you really wish to gain my favor, then assist us in tracking down the beast that killed our sisters and kill it."

Percy nodded. "That, I can do. Anything else you can tell me about it? Size, intelligence, how many there were, stuff like that?"

Medeia shook her head. "I do not believe so. We told you everything we found. Since we couldn't find any footprints we do not know how many there were or the size."

"There _was_ _one thing_ ," Thalia faced Percy. "Each of the hunters had been laid down beside the other in a row and had _drachma_ placed over their eyes."

Percy's brow peaked. "A _drachma_?" He repeated. "Golden?" Thalia nodded her head. "I've never heard of a Monster or anything doing something like that."

"I have." Medeia spoke up. "Back in Greece it was customary for bodies to be buried with a _drachma_ placed over each eye so that they would be able to pay the ferryman so they could enter the Underworld."

"But why would a Monster do that?" Percy asked. "They don't show _any_ kind of respect to the people they kill. That doesn't make any sense."

Medeia shrugged her shoulders. "I agree, that is why I had not said anything sooner. I truly have no idea why that beast would kill our hunters and then grant them access into the Underworld. It was a kind of burial tradition that hasn't been practiced in centuried, whatever killed them is very old."

Percy let out a breath through his nose. "Well we'll keep an eye out for any strange beasts as we hunt the _Hydra_." He looked to Medeia. "You have my word, I'll keep your hunters safe."

* * *

 **(Author's Note):**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. It was a little of a slower chapter but part 2 will have more action along with the introduction of my OC. I really hope you guys like him and give him a chance. Do you guys think Percy will be able to keep his promise?**

 **So twenty four campers died protecting Olympus against the Titans when the gods refused to help. I talked about it last chapter but never gave a solid number. Now you can see why Percy is determined not to let something like that to happen again. He wants to stay around at camp and with the hunters to protect them. Connor Stoll and Butch were among the fallen, you read that right. PJ has never shied away from character deaths and neither will I. Did you know that 1,000, yes, 1,000 unnamed demigods died on the side of the Titans during the Battle of Manhattan according to the Demigod Files? So you've been warned, people die in this story. I wouldn't get too attached to anyone if I were you, mwahaha!**

 **Anyway, sorry again about the delay but I put a lot of time into trying to make sure that the OC was as good as I could get him. You'll see him next time. Don't know when it'll be out but show a lot of support and it'll make me work faster.**

 **Let me know what you thought of it in a Review and be sure to Follow/Favorite as well. And follow me on Twitter if you can, I use it to post polls, questions, updates and general info.**

 **Have a great day and I'll see you guys next time,**

 **Hephaestus**


	8. Ch 2 Part 2: The Man In The Lion Skin

Chapter 2 Part 2: The Man In The Lion Skin

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, I'd like to start off by suggesting that you all checkout '** Forbidden Child' **by** universalstraw242 **and '** Percy Jackson: An Age Gone By' **by** JustASimpleWriter1 **. They are both** _ **phenomenal**_ **Pertemis stories and tied as my favorite Pertemis story of all time. Give them both a read, follow/favorite and a review. Sorry about taking so long getting this second part out, introducing the OC was much harder than I thought. I wanted it to be done right, y'know? I have a few things to say so I'll try to be quick about it.**

 **First, I made a mistake last time and said that the last time that the Titans attacked was the** _ **second**_ **time they did so, I meant third. Their last attempt to take over Mount Olympus was the Third Titanomachy. We'll also be getting a sorta flashback to it this chapter. It's short and won't be the last, I plan on doing more of them as well as one or two in someone else's perspective.**

 **Second, let me know how you guys liked Percy's new weapon, I forgot to ask last time. We see more of it this chapter.**

 **Third, I have put up a new Poll on my profile, it's only available for PC users, sorry. FF needs to change that. It's for my next PJ Pertemis story. I won't start it until after this one, but let me know which one you want first.**

 **Fourth, everything from Lightning Thief to Blood of Olympus is canon, but none of the later series like Magnus Chase, Kane Chronicles or Trials of Apollo are included in my story, as I have not read them yet. I own two of the series, so I really should. But I do have one or two characters included from the Trials of Apollo series, only because I needed cabin leaders for the newer cabins, such as Hebe. These characters are only in the story because I didn't want to make my own OC's to fill spots Uncle Rick already filled. Don't expect these characters to actually do much or give away the stories they're from.**

 **Well that's it for now.** _ **Please**_ **let me know how you guys like my OC. He was hard to get right from what I had in my head. This also isn't the last we'll see of him, of course, he's a major part of this story, and really the reason why it exists. So I hope you guys grow to love him. See you at the bottom! :D**

 **Have a great day, Hephaestus.**

* * *

Chapter 2 Part 2: The Man In The Lion Skin

 **(March 4, 2011 - Percy's Tent, Foothills of Colorado)**

Percy was sleeping. Or more accurately; dreaming. And dreaming was more often than not… _interesting_ for demigods. Some of the time they would have nothing but normal, completely ordinary dreams, but other times they would receive visions. Glimpses into the past, present or future, usually terrible warnings about something that was going to happen. They were never good or pleasant. Percy wasn't receiving visions about the past, present or future however, but reliving the nightmare that was the Third Titanomachy, the Third Titan War. The war that he had to lead the demigods against the Titans _without_ the god's help. He couldn't help but let out groans and roll around on his cot in his sleep as flashes of the war flew through his mind.

 _~~~Flashback~~~_

 **(AN: Read them as flashes/glimpses not a linear story)**

 **(June 1, 2010 - The Original Mount Olympus)**

Percy and Annabeth were woken up at 3 in the morning by a Satyr and rushed to the Big House and were told some of the worst news of their lives; a small army of minor Titans and Monsters were preparing to attack the original Mount Olympus in Greece _again_ and that the demigods would have to fight them off _without_ the assistance of the gods.

The next three days went by in a blur, the entire camp preparing for war, collecting weapons, armor, supplies, Nectar and preparing the Argo II to travel to Greece. Leo and the Hephaestus cabin worked non-stop those three days just to get it ready for the journey. Percy didn't remember much of what happened before the war, but he remembers being frustrated that the gods weren't going to be helping them fight. Chiron didn't have any answers either, he was only told that the gods wouldn't be fighting and that the duty fell to the demigods. Since he and Argus were ordered to stay at the camp it meant that the leadership of the campers fell to the War Council, with Percy as the elected leader. The days of preparation and travel blurred together, but he knew that the only thing he did those three days was reassure Annabeth that they would all be alright and prepare for the hardest fight of their lives.

. . .

The campers hadn't even been at the base of Mount Olympus for an hour yet and hadn't finished putting up their hasty blockades, medical and command tents when the horde of Titans and Monsters rose over the horizon. Horde wasn't the right word, _army_ was far more accurate. Nearly a dozen Minor Titans, at least a half dozen Drakons, two Hydra, Empousa, Cyclops, Scythian Dracanae and Hellhounds by the dozens made up the opposing army.

With only one hundred and twenty four campers in total to stand against them. Unfortunately for Percy and the campers, a good majority of those numbers were newer and inexperienced campers too young to have fought in the Second Titanomachy and weren't ready for combat. So Percy ordered the youngers campers to stay back behind the blockades with the Apollo cabin by the medical tents. Percy and the War Council were discussing battle plans in the command tent when a conch blew, alerting them of the incoming army.

. . .

Percy didn't remember exactly when he realized it, but it couldn't have been past the first hour when he came to the realization that they were going to lose. They would be completely and utterly destroyed. They stood _no chance_ against so many Titans and Monsters. Percy and Jason could handle the odd Titan here and there, but _not_ a small army of them. The campers were outnumbered and outmatched ten to one. The majority of the campers held the Monster hordes back in the valley as the remaining members of the Seven tried their best to hold the Titans back from climbing the mountain.

It was the worst fight Percy had ever seen. No matter how many Monsters he slayed, no matter how many lightning bolts Jason shot down at the army or how many earthquakes he caused, no matter how many undead warriors Nico summoned to assist them, they were losing ground and would be overrun by the Titans in a matter of minutes.

It was like watching a movie through a grey filter and without sound and subtitles. That's how Percy had to describe it. He wasn't the one controlling his body anymore, it was if it had given in to his instincts and they were the ones fighting and keeping the others alive. Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Nico and himself were the only ones fighting off the Titans, and they were losing.

The only thing from that day that Percy remembered was the same thing that plagued his dreams every night after they came home, the sight of Annabeth being thrown to the ground by an unknown Titan. The sight of her motionless body as blood poured from her head, the sight of her dying before him.

He burst into a run for his girlfriend only for a Titan to appear above her. Screaming her name but no sound came out despite how hard he tried to yell it.

 _~~~Flashback End~~~_

 **(March 4, 2011 - Back in Percy's Tent)**

"Annabeth!" Percy sat up with a jolt. He was disorientated, sweating and his heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest. He massaged his face with his hands as he looked around the spartan tent around him. "Damn dreams," He mumbled. "Can't I get _one night_ without them? Just let me sleep through _one night_ …"

He flopped back down onto his cot with a groan, the nightmares of the Third Titanomachy plagued his dreams on the best nights, preventing him from sleeping on the worst ones. He tried his best to hide his trouble sleeping from Annabeth, but he suspected that she knew about them despite her never saying anything. He had to use a lot of sleeping medication to get through the first few months of nights.

"I'm sorry, everyone," He mumbled to himself, remembering those who had fallen that day. "Conor, Butch, Warren, Nicole, Leon, Ashlyn, Alisha, Hayden, Sam, Luis, Mark, Vicky, Ivan, Evelyn, Edward, Katrina, Ester, Barry, Amoree, Keana, Raymond, Darren, Quang, Avery." Percy bit his lip, his breathing heavy. "I pray to Hades that you all earned _Elysium_. You shouldn't have died. _None of you_ should have died." He looked up to the ceiling of his tent, imagining the clear night sky above it. "If only you had been able to intervene earlier, dad… maybe I could have saved everyone."

After rolling around for an hour not being able to sleep, Percy left his tent and got an early start on the morning chores. It couldn't have been past five, but he got started anyway. He knew from eight months of experience that he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep tonight.

oooOooo

 **(March 15, 2011 - Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado)**

Percy was busy teaching lil T how to cheat in rock paper scissors using a finger gun when he heard an explosion of earth and trees followed by a blood curdling cry of a Monster several hundred yards off into the forest.

Suffice to say, but he was not expecting something like that so early in the morning. _Or at all, really._ Five minutes later the eleven hunters(and one camper) had taken down their overnight camp and went off into the trees to investigate the strange and worrying sounds. As they approached, Percy could make out the sounds of various Monsters bellowing, grunting and roaring out in anger and pain. He didn't know exactly _what_ they were going to find, but he recognized the sound of a battle. _Whatever_ or _whoever_ was up ahead was engaged in a fight, he knew that for certain.

Percy and Thalia, running ahead of the small group, halted behind a tall line of bushes and scanned around them. The forest was filled with eerie darkness; the rising sun's crimson blaze illuminated a massive horde of Monsters. The strong morning breeze carried the rank stench of blood and battle across the field. The Monsters stood in a large, rough circle and if the mangled bodies of Monsters flying out of said circle were anything to go by, then _whatever_ they were fighting was at the center of the circle.

"Can you see what's going on?" Thalia whispered in his ear, trying to keep her voice as low as possible. She squinted through the eerie darkness and shadows to try to make out the scene in front of them.

Percy shook his head. "No," He whispered back. "But I-." He was cut off suddenly when a flying body of a Hellhound the size of a rhinoceros burst through the trunk on a tree a few dozen feet in front of them and shattered it into splinters.

If you have ever heard a dog whimpering in pain then you were on the right track to knowing what it sounded like, but now multiply that by a hundred and include the sounds of bones breaking, wood splintering and cries of pain. Now you are closer to knowing what it sounded like, it made the two demigods recoil subconsciously. Percy and Thalia watched in awe as the massive Hellhound burst into Monster dust as its lifeless body lied on the ground.

"What on earth?" Thalia mumbled, watching as a pack of Hellhounds burst through the bushes a few dozen feet to their left and swarmed the circle of Monsters where the flying Hellhound came from but didn't move to attack the other Monsters, instead prowled around the edges of the group. Percy could just barely make out a massive silhouette in the darkness fighting off the horde of Monsters, but what it was, he couldn't tell.

"Binoculars." Percy requested and within a few seconds was handed a pair by Cleo who had just appeared behind him. He nodded his thanks. Through the binoculars he was able to make out the forms of several Cyclops, Empousa and various other Monsters he couldn't make out in the darkness. Every few seconds a different Monster would let out a cry of pain or anger. Percy could see an almost tangible cloud of Monster dust in the air around the silhouette, as if a near constant stream of Monsters were bursting into dust. Whatever was fighting all of these Monsters _knew_ what it was doing. And Percy could only hope that _whatever_ it was, was on their side.

"Gaaahhh!" The low rumbling bellow of a Cyclops was heard before a sickly slicing sound of a blade through flesh and then followed quickly by a 'thud' on the ground. One more Cyclops had fallen.

"Should we help?" Cleo asked from behind them. She had left the rest of the hunters with Medeia a good fifty yards back.

"Help _who_?" Thalia whispered her question. "We don't even know _who's_ fighting. The Monsters could be killing each other for all we know. _I_ say we let them."

"But aren't you curious?" Cleo asked her best friend.

"I am. Something's _not right_." Percy whispered, keeping his binoculars trained on the horde of Monsters. A giant badger had just joined the fight but didn't seem to be making a difference. "I think we should-."

A high pitched scream of terror from behind them made the three demigods pale as they turned around, understanding what was happening.

 _The others were under attack_.

Without a second thought, Percy tore through the bushes and around recently fallen trees like a bullet back to where Medeia was protecting the youngest hunters. Nothing else on his mind but needing to protect the young girls. He had promised to protect them all, he couldn't live with himself if he couldn't keep his word. Not again.

He skidded around a corner to find something that made the blood drain from his face; Medeia and Alexandra were laying unmoving on the ground, their weapons in their hands and a massive Cyclops was standing at the center of the group with lil T held up over his head, a devilish grin on it's hideous misshapen face.

Thalia was just a few seconds behind Percy at first but after a few seconds she was unable to keep up with him so she fell behind despite running at full speed. She reached the spot where they left the other hunters to find Percy cleaving through the legs and stomach of a Cyclops with hardened sheets of ice and water he took from the few inches of snow around their feet.

Ice and snow formed into rotating circular blades and sliced the Cyclops as if it had gone through a paper shredder. A few seconds later the diced up body burst into dust and Percy jumped to catch li T before she fell to the ground.

"Ambush!" Cleo cried behind Thalia just as several Hellhounds leaped from the bushes and encircled them. Thalia watched as Percy clicked his watch changing it into a shield before handing lil T off to her and Cleo and telling them to check up on the others. Thalia did so.

"Medeia, are you okay?" She asked as she bent down near the girl. She wasn't moving but Thalia couldn't see any major injuries on her. She most likely had just been knocked out by the Cyclops' club. Alexandra stirred next to her. "What happened, Alexandra?"

The girl sat up, holding her head with a grimace of pain on her face. "...We were attacked suddenly from behind. We didn't even see the Cyclops coming until he was right on top of us. Medeia tried to fight it but…" She looked to her friend, a worried expression painted her face as she noticed her condition. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes," Thalia said, listening to the veteran hunter's pulse. "She's just unconscious, she may be out for awhile but she'll live."

"Good." Alexandra sighed before looking around her to see Percy and Cleo running of to fight off some Hellhounds, there weren't that many so she wasn't very worried, and neither it seemed, was Thalia. They had both seen the son of Poseidon fight off more than Hellhounds on their now month long hunt. "What happened? What did you find up ahead?"

Thalia shrugged, taking a small bottle of Nectar and pouring it into Medeia's mouth. "We're not sure, it looks like a large group of Monsters is fighting something."

"Fighting _what_?"

"We couldn't tell." Thalia answered honestly. "We couldn't get close enough to see it in the limited light. Then we had to run back here when we heard a scream."

"That was me." Lil T mumbled from her spot holding Thalia's side for comfort. "That big Monster grabbed me! He was trying to eat me, but Medeia stopped him."

"That is because you are my sister." Medeia spoke as her eyes opened, looking around her and realizing what happened. "Any Monster who wants to hurt you would have to get through _me_ first."

After a few minutes, Thalia left lil T and the younger hunters with Medeia and Alexandra again and was about to run off to find Percy and Cleo when from the corner of her eye she saw Medeia fire an arrow behind her without warning. Thalia dodged and spun on the spot but froze in terror when she saw what Medeia had fired at; A mammoth figure clad in a shimmering golden-tan furred cloak burst through the trees and swung a sword at her head.

oooOooo

 **(With Percy)**

Percy thrust _Riptide_ through a Hellhound, killing it and causing it burst into dust. He felt Cleo put her back to his as she removed both of their blind spots and shot arrow after arrow at the approaching horde of Hellhounds and Cyclopi.

"I'm running out of arrows here." Cleo yelled over the sound of battle around them. "Maybe it's time for that trident thing again."

"I don't want to waste it," Percy replied, slicing _Riptide_ through the chest of a small Cyclops. "It takes too much out of me and we have no idea when they're gonna stop coming. If I use it too early I'll get exhausted and won't have enough time to recover."

Percy heard a deflated sigh from behind him. "Well that's _not_ the answer I was looking for." Cleo spoke, now using arrows to repeatedly stab Monsters instead of shooting them. "Guess we do this the hard way."

"You get used to it." He mumbled. "It _always_ ends up the hard way."

"I know that," She countered, stabbing a Cyclops in his singular eye. "I _am_ older than you, Percy. I've been doing this for awhile."

"I forget sometimes," He admitted. "Sometimes it's hard to forget that you're all not just twelve year old girls."

Cleo looked like she was about to reply when without warning Percy felt all of the hair on his body stand up on end and heard a low, crackling hiss as the air around him got thick with a static charge. Not a second later a colossal lightning strike shot down from the blackened sky hitting near where Percy and Cleo had left the others. The radiating lightning strike made all of the muscles in his body tense and he could _literally_ feel the shockwave in his bones.

"Thalia!" Percy yelled, blinking away the sudden, momentary blindness. Something _had_ to be wrong. He had never seen Thalia, _or even Jason_ , summon down a lightning bolt that powerful. He assumed that something like that was reserved for her father, Zeus. Something terrible must be going on for Thalia to summon a lightning strike like that.

"Percy, look!" Cleo cried, pointing at the area of the lightning strike through squinted, pained eyes. "The Monsters are running away!" Percy looked to where she was pointing, she was right. He could see dozens of Monsters fleeing from around where the lighting bolt struck. Maybe the bolt scared them off? But then why could he still see several much smaller and less powerful lightning bolts streak around the sky where the first once struck?

"We have to get over there!" Percy cried as he burst into a full out run. "I've never seen Thalia summon a lightning bolt like that, whatever's going on _must_ be bad."

"You're right," Cleo called out as she too burst into a run into the eye of the storm. "That much power must have taken a lot out of her. I'd be surprised if she could even _stand_ after that."

Percy nodded. "Then that's all the more reason to get over there and help her." Cleo didn't know how he managed to do it, but the son of Poseidon started to run _even faster_ towards Thalia. After just a few seconds she lost him through the trees and brush.

oooOooo

Percy reached the area where he saw the lightning bolt strike. The earth was charred and several trees were aflame or turned to cinders. He expected this, sure, but not the over six and half foot figure clad in a golden-tanned fur cloak standing a few feet from Thalia that was laying on the ground, weak sparks of electricity darting and dancing on her fingers as she tried to summon another lightning bolt. Before he could even think twice, Percy found himself in the air behind the figure with _Riptide_ aimed at its neck.

'T'ching!'

 _Riptide_ hit the back of the neck of the colossal figure but deflected off of the fur like it had struck a sheet of metal, sliding off of the figure and causing Percy to faceplant into the cloak and drop to the ground with an undignified 'thud'. Needless to say he had never been so confused and embarrassed in his life.

"What the-." He started as he rubbed his head, rising from the ground, a dull aching pain making him dizzy only to be cut off by a yelling Thalia.

"Look out Percy, he's-" She too was cut off when the gargantuan figure swung a canned-ham sized fist at his face, causing blood to spray from his mouth like a nozzle and throwing the son of Poseidon a few dozen feet back into a tree with such force that Percy found himself indented into said tree trunk.

After a few seconds Percy managed to open his eyes, blinking the pain away. His Curse of Achilles made him pretty much indestructible to all conventional forms of physical damage like bladed weapons but a sheer amount of brunt force like this could still rattle his bones and make him disorientated. "What _hit_ me," He mumbled, forcing his eyes to focus on the large figure slowly striding towards him. "Oh, _that's_ right." He said, remembering. "You…"

The titanic man's brow rose subtly as Percy got to his feet after shaking off the blow that was strong enough to kill an ordinary man several times over, as if he were surprised that Percy managed to stand after the hit. Which he might have been given the power of his punch.

Popping his neck and raising his sword and shield, Percy stepped forward to face the man. "If anyone can move, get Thalia and everyone out of here!" He ordered towards the group of hunters. "I'll take care of-."

The cloak-clad man shot at him with a gust of wind faster than Percy thought physically possible for a man his size, his elbow aiming at Percy's chest before he could even register the incoming attack.

"Gaaah!" Percy cried as he was flung into the air and into and _through_ another tree. After rolling on the ground a few times he managed to stop himself. He fumbled to his feet in an undignified matter, looking like a pro boxer that had been hit one too many times and didn't know to stay down. But in his case he had only been hit _twice_.

"Holy _Hades…_ " He mumbled to himself, placing his hands on his knees. The mammoth man must have thought that he was either dead or wasn't going to get up from that last hit because he turned back to where Alexandra and Medeia were busy peppering him with arrows from the trees, but the arrows bounced harmlessly off of his shining cloak. "Anyone catch the license plate of the guy who hit me?" He joked as he noticed Cleo appear next to him again.

"Well your sense of humor is still intact, so we at least know you're not _too_ hurt." Came her snide remark as she handed him a small square of Ambrosia. "Are my eyes deceiving me or did you just laid out by that guy, twice?"

"Thanks for that bout of confidence," He mumbled before pausing and swallowing the square of Ambrosia in one go despite Cleo warning him not to. "Get to the girls and get them out of here." He tightened his grip on _Riptide_. "He got a lucky hit in, that's all."

" _Two_ lucky hits in, actually." She reminded him before her face turned more serious. "And don't think that I'm going to let you fight this Monster alone, you are a hunter of Artemis now, and we hunters stick together to the end."

Percy couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I didn't expect you to listen to me anyway." He mumbled before studying the unknown figure as he walked slowly after Medeia as she fired arrows at him, completely unconcerned. He seemed unwilling to exert any energy unless it was necessary, which might actually give Percy an advantage if he could just manage to out pace him. "I don't think he's a Monster, Cleo." He told the hunter.

"Why not?" She asked. "I saw it shrug off your attack from _Riptide_. How is that possible if it's _not a Monster_?"

Percy focused his gaze on the golden cloak of the figure as it caught a Hellhound that charged at him and threw it over his head behind him as if it weighed no more than an oversized pillow. That also proved to Percy that this man- yes, he was sure that he saw a human, male face on the figure that attacked him- was _not_ fighting alongside the Monsters. He must have been the one fighting off the large horde of Monsters earlier.

"That's it." Percy eyes widened in realization. "He has the Nemean Lion Skin as a cloak. _That's why_ our attacks are just bouncing off of it." His shoulders dropped slightly after he spoke. This made it _that_ much more difficult. This man's immense strength combined with the indestructible Nemean Lion Skin made him an extremely dangerous enemy.

"But how is that possible?" Cleo asked. "I thought that you and Zoë killed it a few years ago."

"It must have reformed, more quickly this time. And somehow he must have managed to kill it." Percy mumbled, griping _Riptide_ and beginning to walk towards the massive man. "But that doesn't matter right now. Right now I have to stop him from hurting anyone else." He faced Cleo, a determined look in his sea green eyes. "Fight with me if you want, _but keep your distance_. Aim for any areas of exposed skin and pepper him with arrows." He held his sword and shield before him in a ready stance as he charged at the man. "I'll take the more direct approach."

oooOooo

Percy, honing all of the stealth training that Thalia and Cleo taught him while he was with the hunt, snuck up behind the man with _Riptide_ but had to wait for an opening because of the Nemean Lion Skin. The massive cloak covered the man from his head to his ankles, so a sneak attack from the back was impossible. Percy was just about to swing around the man and stab him through the chest when the man pivoted on his heel and swung his own sword at him.

Percy managed to block the strike with his shield, but the impact made his arm tingle as the blow was absorbed through his body. But Percy ignored that and used his years of swordsmanship training and performed a flurry of strikes at the man only for them all to be either countered with his own short sword or his large circular shield.

 _Come on, Percy,_ He thought to himself. _You're better than this. So what this guy is one of the best sword fighters you've ever fought, find his root and beat him!_ Percy tried to empty fade and feint falling back before jumping forward but the man seemed to expect this and countered by slamming his heavy _hoplon_ shield into Percy's chest, knocking the demigod back a few strides.

The son of Poseidon recovered quickly and tried to get in close to make use of his smaller(in comparison) body and get inside of the man's guard but his short sword that Percy now recognized as a traditional _xiphos_ \- a short, straight, two-edged sword that was used in ancient Greece-, immense skill with a blade coupled with his massive _hoplon_ shield, made it damn near impossible to get close. Percy couldn't find any openings despite his mind working overtime thinking of every sword fighting and tactical trick in the book to get in close. That just left Percy one option.

Cheat.

Percy felt an immense pull in his gut as he summoned all of the snow on the ground around him and rammed it into the man with all of his might. The towering man was thrown back nearly a dozen feet, _nearly not as far as Percy expected_ , and fell to one knee before raising his eyes to meet Percy's, a wicked grin on his face.

Percy took a half step back despite himself, the look on the man's face was enough to scare a Titan. Suddenly he spoke, his voice a low baritone and rough as if it had been some time since he had last used it. "It was been many years since an opponent has managed to force me to a knee." He rose slowly, as if he were savoring the moment and had all of the time in the world. He held his _xiphos_ and _hoplon_ in a more relaxed stance. "Tell me, who do I have the honor of facing in battle?"

Percy didn't know what kind of game the man was playing, leaving himself open for an attack like this and making conversation in the middle of a fight, but Percy sensed no charmspeak or godly persuasion in his voice, so he didn't believe he was being tricked. Plus, if he talked maybe he'd be able to allow the others to get further away just in case this strange man overpowered him, and as the battle went on longer and longer, Percy feared that it was an all too real possibility. His strength was nothing short of insane and his skills in combat rivaled those of Ares the god of War himself. He'd have to watch himself, this man wasn't like any old Monster or Titan that he could just trick and attack when their guard was down. This man oozed skill and talent, he was not going to fall for a simple trick like that. Best to be honest.

"I'm Perseus, he who has divine domain over Storms and Earthquakes." Percy answered, giving some of his full title, feeling it too long and overdramatic to use fully, plus he wanted to keep his replies short and concise in order to not get distracted. He made sure to not lowering his guard or lose focus at all. Something inside of him told him that it could mean certain death if he lost concentration against this man.

" _Perseus…_ did you say? _Really_?" The man echoed in his lower voice, as if testing out the name. "Meaning _Destroyer_. The legendary son of Zeus who slayed Medusa." He said is if remembering the name. He eyed Percy up and down and studied him as if he were able to read everything about him with just a look. "Tell me, are you worthy of that name? _Or of that sword?_ " His eyes focused on _Riptide_.

Percy's eyes widened slightly, wearily. If this man recognized _Riptide_ from a distance then he must be _extremely_ knowledgeable of the Greek world. Just who _was_ this man? A minor god maybe? Then _why_ was he fighting Percy and the hunters? Was he a rogue minor god who has sided with the Titans? If so, then Percy had to make this quick, a prolonged fight with a god, minor or not, was never a good idea. "You recognize my sword?"

" _Your_ sword?" The man chuckled darkly, his low voice sounding more like a rumble in the sky than a chuckle. "That, _Perseus_ , is _Anaklusmos_ , the _Riptide_. Forged in the fiery center of Mount Etna and bathed in the water of the Lethe itself, used and owned by the legendary _hero_ Heracles. Yes, _Perseus_ , I recognize that sword. So, I ask again, do you _truly_ think yourself worthy of such a blade?"

Percy raised _Riptide_ defiantly. "Why don't you come over here and find out?"

The monstrous man's lip quirked slightly in a smirk as he raised his _xiphos_ at Percy. "It is unwise to continuously challenge a foe that you have no chance of defeating. Yet I know why…" He widened his stance to prepare to strike or counter a hit. "You are attempting to allow your young friends ample time to escape. Though, you should know that I _never_ fail a hunt, I will track them down after I am done with you." Percy's widening eyes must have confirmed the man's theory.

"I told you who I am, so, _who_ are you? Are you a minor god?"

The man's low voice rumbled with a chuckle. "You think _I'm_ a minor god? Ironic."

Without warning the colossal man rushed at Percy with a quick gust of wind, this time aiming his _xiphos_ at Percy's chest. The son of Poseidon barely managed to counter the hit fully despite it shaking his bones. "If you defeat me in battle, I shall tell you who I am." The man said in between strikes.

Percy studied his opponent as they traded blows, trying to learn how to beat him, but what he discovered made his morale drop; His moves were _perfect_ , refined as if he had spent several lifetimes mastering every form and every counter in existence. His footwork was flawless, he danced around Percy like a master choreographer despite his enormous and bulky body. Percy tried to counter another strike, but somehow this man managed to predict what he was going to do and blocked him.

 _Damn,_ Percy thought to himself as he was struck by a massive traditional Greek boot in the chest. _It's as if he can read my mind. Like he knows what I'm going to do before I do it_. Their blades clashed again, sparks flying off of the two ancient swords.

 _Come on, Percy_ , He thought to himself, trying to catch his breath after being thrown through another tree. _Figure out his pattern, then counter and exploit it._ The mountainous man charged again, with the same inhuman speed as before. Somehow he wasn't even showing signs of tiredness yet while Percy was getting tired. Percy sent a quick, honestly half-assed, prayer to Athena asking her to help him come up with a plan. He didn't think she _actually would_ , since she hated him, but it was worth a shot.

Percy noticed something else about his opponent's fighting style that he couldn't believe that he didn't notice before. He was fighting like a demigod! His form, stance, how he held his blade and shield, how he countered and parried, it was all standard Greek sword training but at the master level. No wonder his fighting style seemed so familiar, Percy has been trained in the same style since he was twelve. Now he had an idea how to win, switch up styles. He always told his students during sword training to never become too predictable, it was about time to follow his own advice.

As the man's sword was thrust out at Percy's head, the son of Poseidon went against the instincts that had been drilled into him by Chiron and Luke and ducked under the strike and struck the man in the foot with his shield. The man, to his credit, didn't curse in pain, only eyed Percy suspiciously as he made use of his training at Camp Jupiter and switched to a traditional Roman style.

For the first half minute Percy had the upper hand after switching up tactics, surprising his opponent enough to become unpredictable. Taking advantage of this, Percy exploited a gap in his enemy's defense and swung _Riptide_ down on his exposed forearm with all of his might.

This didn't have the effect Percy expected. Instead of cleaving straight through his arm, _Riptide_ only managed to embed itself a centimeter or two into the man's arm. His opponent took advantage of Percy's shock and grabbed _Riptide_ (by the blade) and tore it from Percy's grip and threw it into the woods a good several dozen feet away.

Percy inwardly cursed, _Riptide_ would return to his pocket after a while, sure, but he didn't have the luxury of waiting that long. He'd have to go with plan B, his trident. Hopefully one good blast to the chest would be enough to knock this guy out, because if not, Percy wasn't sure how much more punishment he could take before he had to start worrying.

The son of Poseidon summoned another few waves of snow at the towering figure in order to buy himself a few seconds to summon his trident and gather some energy for an attack. A few seconds later the massive man burst over the continuous waves of snow and ice, swinging his _xiphos_ at Percy only to get get jabbed in the chest by Percy's trident and thrown back a few dozen feet.

Percy dropped to one knee, winded after the attack. His trident used his own energy and focused it into an attack, so it always took something out of him. The more power he put into the attack the more it took out of him. Percy eyed his opponent getting up, his chest didn't even appear to be damaged save for the little amount of charring around where Percy struck him.

"How in _Hades_ are you able to get up after that?" Percy couldn't keep himself from asking, amazed at his foe. He's knocked out Hyperborean Giants with that attack before and this man didn't even look fazed by it.

The colossal figure smirked, slowly walking towards Percy, dropping his sword and shield to the ground. Or technically only his shield, as before his sword hit the ground it burst into a low glow of golden-red light and traveled up to his right bicep where Percy could make out a tattoo of a sword that had not been there before. With his right hand he cupped the tattoo on his left bicep and without preamble another soft golden-red glow appeared in his left hand and a massive warhammer began to grow from the light.

 _Ah Hades_ , Percy thought. _Those must be enchanted weapons like Jason's sword or my trident._ Percy forced himself to his feet, keeping a watchful eye on his opponent, he could make out at least two more tattoos, one on each forearm. Hopefully those two weren't weapons as well. The mammoth man stopped, raising the warhammer out Percy. It looked like something out of a videogame. It had a four foot **(121.9cm)** wooden grip with a no less than massive ornate Celestial Bronze and what looked like tempered steel hybrid hammer head in the shape of a lion's head with an open maw. Opposite side of the lion's mouth was a large deadly spike made of the same hybrid material. Celestial Bronze and tempered steel hybrid, meaning that it could harm _both_ mortals and demigods, not good. The head itself of the hammer must have weighed over fifty pounds at its size but the towering man showed no effort as he held it out in front of him.

"You had a trick up your sleeve," The man said, his voice slow and methodical, as if he weighed every word before he said it, eyeing Percy's trident. "That is the weapon of the seas. Tell me, how did you obtain such a weapon? I would like to add a weapon such as it to my collection." Without warning he darted at Percy, his massive warhammer over his head in a powerful swing.

 _Can't block that, gotta dodge it!_ Percy thought, jumping to the side and rolling out of the way. He studied the massive warhammer. It was far too impractical and heavy for a mortal to use, so this man _must_ be some sort of minor god. No demigod in the world would be able to wield it over his head and perform elaborate swings and strikes like that with such a heavy weapon.

" _Who_ are you?" Percy tried again to ask in between dodging hammer swings and thrusting his trident at the minor god's chest. " _Why_ are you attacking me? _Who_ sent you? Was it the Titans that sided with Gaea? Are you one of Kronos' flunkies?" Percy held his trident over his head to block the attack aimed at his head but just before the warhammer made contact with his trident it stopped.

The minor god halted for a fraction of a second before jumping back several strides and bringing his warhammer to rest on the ground. He watched Percy like a hawk, his eyes a piercing gaze. "Kronos?" He asked in his low voice. "I _slay_ those aligned with Kronos and Gaea." His eyes were calculating as he watched Percy, as if he were thinking of a million things at once, trying to decipher if Percy was trying to trick him. After a few more seconds he spoke. "Tell me, which master do you serve? Who _are_ you?"

Percy hesitated for a few seconds, but something in him told him to be honest, like this person would be able to tell if he were lying. "I serve Mount Olympus," Percy started. "I'm Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon. Demigod of Storms and Earthquakes, Champion of the gods and Guardian of the Hunters of Artemis. Who are-." The minor god cut him off suddenly, dropping his stance completely.

"Hunters of Artemis?" He asked, looking around them as if expecting Artemis or her hunters to appear. His eyes settled on a tree a little ways away that Percy assumed that Cleo was hiding in. " _Those_ were the hunters of Artemis?" He asked like he couldn't believe it. He looked around again. "Is Artemis here with you?"

"...No," Percy hesitated. "She's not here right now. She asked me to travel with the hunters for the time being."

The minor god looked Percy up and down. "I was unaware that males were allowed to join the hunt. How is this possible?"

Percy sat the end of trident on the ground and let himself catch his breath. "I'm an honorary member," Percy replied. "Artemis asked me to help them on a hunt."

"You said that you are a demigod?" He asked, his tone skeptical. "Mortal or immortal?"

Percy tried to decipher what he was trying to get at. "...Mortal." Percy answered. "And yes, I'm a demigod. What are you? I assume you're a minor god of hunting, war or maybe the mountains?" Percy said, looking around the mountain cliffs around them.

The minor god's brow rose slightly. "I am not an Ourea, a mountain god nor Enyalius, the minor god of war. I am _not_ a minor god."

Percy's own eyebrow rose in question. "Then what are you?" He asked wearily. "You're not a minor Titan, are you?"

The mammoth figure shook his head, the Nemean Lion's mane of golden tan fur shaking by the motion. "No, I am neither god nor Titan. I am a demigod, like you."

Percy blinked once, twice and then again. _That_ was not what he was expecting. He looked over the giant man in front of him again, but this time focusing on his appearance and not trying to figure out the best way to impale him with a sword. He was six foot eight **(203.2cm)** and built like a rhinoceros on steroids. I had was uglier and only had one eye than he could have been mistaken for a Cyclops. He wore the Nemean Lion skin as a cloak, had a bare chest and arms, wore a large leather harness over his waist with a Celestial Bronze lion head on it and had Greek boots and armor on his feet and legs. Not only that, but he also had several weapons and pouches sat on his belt harness. He sure looked like a minor god of hunting or war to Percy.

"Wait," Percy started." You're a _demigod_?"

"Yes." The minor god, no, not god, _man_ , said. "I am."

"How?" Percy exclaimed. "You look like a god."

The giant man blinked as if he were taken aback. "Um… well, _thank you_ I guess?" He didn't seem to know how to take the question.

Percy let his trident form back into his pendant on his necklace. It wore his out to keep it summoned and _Riptide_ had returned to his pocket, in case he had to defend himself again. "Then why did you attack us if you're a demigod?" Percy asked. "You have to be _crazy_ to attack the hunters of Artemis as a mortal."

The man followed Percy's move and let his warhammer disappear and form back on his left bicep as a tattoo. "I was unaware of who they were." He said, taking a few steps closer to Percy, his hands out in front of him in a show of non-hostility. "The eldest girl attacked me with lightning while another used plants and trees to attack me. I thought that they might have been Dryads or Nymphs."

 _The first must be Thalia and the other must have been Edith, since she's a daughter of Demeter_. Percy thought. He lowered his shoulders and unclenched his fists, something told him that this man wasn't going to attack him again. Out loud, he said, "But why would you attack a group of Dryads or Nymphs?" Percy asked. "They're mostly harmless."

The colossal man looked behind Percy and pointed. "Because _she_ fired at me _first_." Percy spun around to find Thalia, Medeia and the other hunters all behind him with their bows aimed at the man. Percy followed the man's finger and found it pointed at Medeia. "My camp was invaded by a massive swarm of Monsters this morning. I was fighting them off when I heard a small child scream." He looked at the youngest hunters, studying them. "After I slayed the last of the Monsters I rushed off to investigate and found this group, only for this one to fire an arrow at me." He said, his eyes narrowed at Medeia.

Thalia moved a half step closer, her bow drawn. "You _tried to kill me_!" She cried. "I had to hit you with a lighting bolt to get you away from me."

"Is this true?" Percy asked the group, he first looked to Medeia.

"...Yes," She replied. "I saw him in the trees behind Thalia so I fired an arrow at him. I believed that he was a Monster! I did not know _who_ he was!"

"And I assumed that you lured me in with a child's cry." The man said cooly before looking back to Percy. "Cyclops are known for doing such things. I thought that you were Nymphs or Dryads allied with the Monsters."

"We're the hunters of Lady Artemis." Thalia said, her bow still drawn at the man's bare chest. "Not Nymphs, Dryads or anything like that. And you attacked _us_ , we could kill you for that. Our Lady would no doubt approve."

"Wait wait wait," Percy waved his arms, getting in front of Thalia. "We seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot here." He looked to Thalia. "I talked to him, it seems that he really didn't know who we were. Let's not start a fight here." He said, thought his eyes portrayed his true message, _We might not win if we do_.

"Everyone just lower their weapons, okay?" Percy said to the hunters, lil T and the younger hunters did almost immediately but the older hunters took longer. Medeia refused to lower hers, however. "Medeia, drop your bow." Percy ordered.

The eldest hunter narrowed her eyes at the man. "I do not trust this _male_ , Perseus. He attempted to _kill_ us."

"Well I tried to kill him too," Percy admitted with an apologetic look towards the man. "We didn't know that we're on the same side. He says he fights the Titans too."

Medeia's brow quirked up. "And you believe him so easily?" She drew her arrow even further back but the man, to his credit, didn't even blink having an arrow pointed at his chest.

Percy stepped towards Medeia and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I'm just trying to diffuse the tension. Trust me, we don't want to fight this guy. So Lower. Your. Bow."

After a few seconds and a huff of frustration, Medeia lowered her bow but kept her arrow notched. "Who are you?" Medeia asked the man. "Which god do you serve? Are you Roman or Greek?"

The man smiled at seeing her finally lower her weapon. He lowered his head in a slight bow, his right hand on his chest over his heart. "I am Leonidas, son of Sparta and I serve no one god. And as a Spartan I am Greek, _not_ Roman."

"Leonidas?" Cleo asked from besides Thalia. "You mean like _the_ Leonidas? King of-."

The man who claimed to be named Leonidas cut in. "Leonidas, legendary Warrior King of Sparta, the man who led the three hundred Spartans against Persia at the battle of Thermopylae?" He asked with a slight smile on his face as if he were amused. "No, I am not _the_ Leonidas. But he _is_ my namesake. My mother gave me this name so that I may one day achieve the same honor in battle as he."

Percy's ear perked at this. "Your mother?" He asked. "Was she a god or mortal?"

"Mortal," Leonidas answered. "Though she raised me since birth as a Spartan."

"How do you mean, raised you since birth as a Spartan?" Edith asked.

Leonidas looked to the daughter if Demeter. "I was raised like the children of Sparta were." He answered. "I was trained to fight since I was old enough to hold a sword."

"That sounds more like Camp Jupiter than anything." Medeia stated. "Are you _sure_ that you are Greek?"

"Who's your godly parent?" Percy asked over Medeia's question.

Leonidas gave a shrug, his massive shoulders causing the fur on his cloak to shimmer in the morning sun. "I am afraid that I do not know, I never met him."

"Did your mom know who he was?" Thalia asked. "Did she ever mention anything about him?"

Leonidas' eyes darkened slightly, as if he were remembering something that he wished to forget. "Mother was… never the nurturing nor caring type." He started. "She only spoke to me during her lectures. She would often talk to herself as I trained. _Sometimes_ it was about him, how she missed him and wished for him to return to her, but mostly she just recited poems and quotes to herself."

"What do you mean she wasn't nurturing or caring?" Percy asked. "Didn't you say she trained you to fight?"

"She trained me to impress my father so that he would return to us." Leonidas corrected, his tone sharp. Implying that he had some not too fond memories of his mother. "She was obsessed with my father, claiming that he loved her and would return one day if I proved myself to him. So she made me train."

Percy took a half step forward, his voice calm like when he talked to new campers about the Greek world. "Well some mortals think that," His eyes jumped to Thalia for a second before going back. "But the gods are really busy and can't always make themselves known to their demigod -."

Leonidas cut him off. "My mother, while brilliant and a master tactician, was mad." He told them, looking at Percy. "She would often go on for days at a time reciting poems or quotes without ever sleeping, eating or acknowledging me at all. She did not even know that I was there most of the time." He gave another shrug. "But she never told me of my father, she said that names had power and that she did not want to alert him of me before I was ready."

"...So she knew that you were a demigod then?" Percy asked. "Since she knew about the Greek world enough to train you as a Spartan."

Leonidas nodded. "Yes. She taught me of the Greek world, of the gods, Titans and Monsters. I have further honed my skills and I have been hunting Monsters since I left home when I was twelve."

"Twelve?" Percy asked. "If you don't mind, why did you leave home at twelve?"

Leonidas' shoulders fell slightly. "Because our house was attacked my Monsters during the night and my mother was killed." He answered softly. "I fled into the woods and since then I have dedicated my life to kill all of the Monsters I can. To avenge her."

The group was silent for a half minute after that, no one really knowing what to say. After a little bit Percy asked, "So how old are you?" He looked to be at least twenty, but his size and muscles made it hard to determine.

"I am twenty one." Leonidas answered. "You?"

"Eighteen." Percy told him before letting out a breath. "Well, why don't we continue this over breakfast?" He faced Edith. "We never got the chance to eat, can you start preparing?" The daughter of Demeter nodded after a few seconds. "Thanks."

Percy turned back to Leonidas. 'Well, why don't we gather some food? We can talk more over some food. You okay with that, Leonidas?"

The large man nodded. "Yes." He looked to Thalia and the hunters, a smile on his face. "I would be honored to be able to see the hunters of Lady Artemis hunt. I have always wanted to see a master hunt."

"I assume that you know how to hunt?" Alexandra asked, eyeing the furs and pelts on him.

"Yes," He nodded again, placing his left hand on his right forearm, a large, slightly glowing wooden bow appeared in his hand. "I am a Monster hunter, of course I can hunt."

oooOooo

 **(An hour or so later)**

After Medeia, begrudgingly, allowed Leonidas to hunt breakfast with them, in which he managed to shoot down a deer from a distance that not even Medeia herself thought possible, some of the hunters seemed to get impressed by him. Leonidas, after apologizing for attacking them numerous times, was kind and respectful towards the hunters. He made no rude or inappropriate comments and tried his best to not overstay his welcome. After they ate he told them more about himself, though it seemed that doing so brought up some unwanted memories so Percy let him not answer every question.

They learned that Leonidas was raised in the woods by a large lake in Minnesota, though exactly where, he didn't know. He and his mother never left their property and Leonidas spent the fist twelve years of his life there. He also demonstrated his mastery of the bow to the hunters, even taking part in a friendly(or friendly for him, since the hunters wanted nothing more than to beat him) shooting competition where he surprised everyone by managing to not only shoot faster and farther than them but with more accuracy. Medeia claimed that the contest was not fair because of his increased strength, since he was able to shoot further than them. Which brought up the conversation about Leonidas' powers.

"Speaking of you strength," Percy spoke up after letting Leonidas and the hunters talk back and forth for a little while. "What other demigod powers do you have?"

Thalia spoke up too. "They might be able to help us figure out who your dad is."

Leonidas looked at him, lowering the slab of freshly cooked meat away from his mouth. "Powers?" He asked.

"Yeah,"Percy said. "I have powers over water, storms and earthquakes because my dad's Poseidon."

Leonidas gave an 'I dunno' shrug. "I only have increased strength."

Percy looked to Thalia. "Huh, maybe you're a son of Ares?" He asked aloud. "It would definitely explain your skill and size, since most Ares kids are big."

"And Ares kids have super strength beyond normal demigods." Thalia suggested, looking to Leonidas. "Anything else?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, I am sorry."

"Don't be," Percy smiled. "Not every demigod is claimed. And you might have been too old for your dad to claim when I had them swear to claim all of their kids."

Thalia shrugged. "Could be. Since adulthood was considered to be sixteen in ancient Greece, you might have already been an adult when it happened."

Percy noticed Medeia look up the shy from the corner of his eye. Then she spoke up, "We should get moving." She said. "We are wasting daylight sitting here and talking. We have a lot of ground to cover."

Leonidas' ears perked at this. "Are you on a hunt for a Monster?" He asked. "May I travel-?"

"No." Medeia cut him off sharply. "You may not travel with us, _male_. Regardless of your skill with a bow, we hunters would never travel with a male."

Leonidas gestured towards Percy. "But you allow Perseus to travel with you."

"Percy," Percy corrected him. "And I'm somewhat of a special case. Artemis is only allowing me to travel with her hunters because I have fought alongside her a few times and she knows and trusts me." He gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, but rules are rules."

Leonidas seemed upset hearing this but it went away after a few seconds. "Well I would be lying if I said that I was not disheartened by that answer, but I will respect the wishes of Lady Artemis." He rose from the ground gracefully, not making a sound despite his large size. "But tell me, is Lady Artemis going to be joining you on your hunt? Where is she right now?"

Percy was about to answer his question when Thalia beat him to it. "We can't say." She said. "That information is only for the hunters to know."

Leonidas' face dropped slightly, his voice softer. "That is a shame," He let out a sigh. "I was really looking forward to meeting her. As a hunter of Monsters myself I have always wanted to meet the goddess of the hunt."

After a few minutes they packed up camp and Leonidas was making his way out of their camp and into the woods when he stopped and turned back, calling to Percy. "Perseus!" He yelled, using his full name for whatever reason. He seemed to prefer using full names actually, and didn't like people shortening his name to 'Leo'. Because names were sacred and honored those they were named after, he said. Percy decided to not question it further. He had also started to refer to Percy as 'brother' despite no proof that they were actually related. Percy also decided not to say anything about it.

"What?" Percy called back, stopping as well. Lil T seemed to want to leave and tugged on his hand but he didn't budge.

"Where is that camp of demigods that you spoke of?" He asked. "Camp Half-Blood?"

Percy was opening his mouth to answer, but again Thalia cut him off. "Sorry, but we can't say." She said with a fake smile. To Percy she whispered, "I don't trust him, Kelp Head. Don't tell him anything."

If Leonidas was upset about not getting an answer he didn't show it. He only gave a smile as he waved goodbye to Percy. "That is alright, I understand. I pray we meet again someday, my brother, Fated willing."

Percy waved goodbye to Leonidas as he headed into and somehow quickly disappeared into the brush. "Why?" Percy asked. "We'll never even see him again. What the harm of telling him where camp is? He _is_ a demigod too, so he has a right to go there."

Thalia shrugged as she led them in the opposite direction. "I don't know," She answered honestly. "But something in my gut tells me he's trouble."

Percy was going to ask her to clarify, but Medeia seemed to find the trail of the elder _Hydra_ they were hunting, so they ran off. Percy forgot about the strange man named Leonidas that he met that day, instead focusing on the hunt as the days on the trail continued.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, I hope you liked this chapter as well as Leonidas' introduction. I put so much time into him so I hope you guys like him. Don't worry, this isn't the last time we'll see him. He's a major part of this story but no spoilers, I won't give anything else away. But let me know what you think about him and who you think is his godly parent. But please give your guesses in a PM so other people won't be spoiled if you're right or they don't want to know.**

 **Sorry again about the delay, my internet had been terrible the last few days and that really makes it hard to write. Hopefully there aren't that many mistakes towards the end, I didn't have much time to edit/reread since I'm trying to get this out before work tonight. Let me know if there are any major mistakes and I'll fix them.**

 **Next chapter will be another timeskip, as most will be. We'll also get the** _ **true**_ **reason why Artemis is having Percy travel with the hunters as well as the reasons why she fears for his safety at camp.**

 **Let me know how you liked it with a Review and be sure to vote on my Poll for my next Pertemis story. If you can't vote because you're on a phone then just let me know your vote in a Review or PM.**

 **Have a great day, hopefully next update will be sooner rather than later,**

 **Hephaestus**


	9. Ch 3: Camp Under Attack

Chapter 3: Camp Under Attack

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, I'm back with a quicker update this time! Look at that, it's a miracle. I'm going to try my best to keep the updates as fast as possible for the time being, while keeping them the same quality, of course. I'll work on the the next chapter all weekend. Harass me if I start to slack. I have a few things to say before we get into the chapter. Please give them a quick read:**

 **First, I put up a new Poll on my Profile to decide which of the two Pertemis stories I have planned you guys want first. It's only open for desktop, sorry, but just PM or Review with your vote. You can find them on my Profile.**

 **Second, there is some more than usual cussing in this chapter, courtesy of Thalia and Clarisse. Nothing too bad and nothing offensive. Just a few words here and there. Figured I'd mention it just in case.**

 **Third, you guys should check out 'Through The Ages' by** **feelinglucky1502** **. It's a really good Pertemis story that is really starting to pick up. Go over and check it out if you could.**

 **Fourth, this is a little bit of a slower chapter without much action, sorry about that, but not every chapter can be one. The action will pick up soon, I promise.**

 **Well, that's everything I have, so let's get started with he chapter, I hope you guys like it.**

* * *

Chapter: Camp Under Attack

 **(April 2, 2011, Just North of the Canadian/US Border)**

It wasn't until the beginning of April, nearly _two whole months_ after Percy left with the hunters and a few days after they finally tracked down and killed the elder _Hydra_ when Thalia _finally_ agreed to tell him the real reason why he was with the hunters. But she couldn't tell him why until they were out of the country and far away enough from the god's ears. She said that she couldn't risk having her father or another god hear. So after leaving the rest of the hunters just south of the Canadian/US border, Thalia took Percy up into Canada to tell him everything.

Needless to say he was not expecting the first words out of her mouth. "My father is trying to kill you."

That made Percy pause for a few minutes, unable to understand why. They had only just sat down to talk and this was the first thing she told him? No wonder she was nervous this whole time.

Percy cleared his throat, looking to his cousin. "...Why?" He asked though he _really_ didn't want to know the answer. "Is it because I didn't accept Immortality like he wanted me to?"

Thalia waved her hand in a 'so-so' gesture. "Kinda, that's part of the reason why, but not the real reason." She said, her voice was soft and Percy could clearly hear, was that _fear_ in her voice? She continued, "There's a new Prophecy, and my father thinks it's about you."

Percy cursed under his breath. _Of course_ there had to be another Prophecy. The Fates just couldn't leave him alone, could they? After letting his shoulders drop he asked, "What did it say? Word for word?"

Thalia let out a shaky breath before answering,

"Olympus beware the Mortal of Might,

The heir shall strike War and Love in the night,

A long forgotten foe shall rise, an Angel and Lion in disguise,

The Mount shall fall and the Sky will rise,

The Son shall follow the fate of those before,

And slay his father at the door."

Percy was silent for a few minutes, his head in his hands. Why did everything always have to be about him? "So Zeus," He swallowed. "Thinks I'm going to slay my dad at some door?" He asked. "Why? I'd _never_ kill my dad. He's my dad!"

"We know that, Percy." Thalia put a hand on his arm. "Lady Artemis thinks that the Prophecy refers to _someone else_ we haven't found yet, and who will most likely stay hidden until right before the Prophecy comes to be. But my father, as well as Ares, think that _you_ are going to be the one who kills Aphrodite, Ares and your dad. They fear that you will attempt to take over Olympus for yourself and rule. Just like Zeus did to _his_ father, and Kronos did to _his_ father." She looked up to the sky, watching the clouds. "It _is_ the tradition for the son to overthrow the father in Greek history."

Percy let out a long breath through his nose. "I get that that's what's happened _before_ ," He agreed, anxiously running his fingers through his messy hair. "But I don't _want_ to rule." He said, a frustrated look on his face. "I don't even want immortality. All I _want_ is to be able to have a nice, calm life, marry Annabeth and have kids one day, grow old and die."

Thalia nodded. "We _know_ that, Percy." She confirmed. "But my father is more paranoid than ever, _especially_ now. He's closed off the entirety of Olympus and summoned _every_ god, major and minor, there, not allowing them to leave in fear of a coup. He thinks… and it's _kinda_ true, that if you _were_ to actually invade Olympus with the intention of taking over, that you would pose a substantial threat."

Percy blinked, asking, "How? I'm one demigod against the whole of Mount Olympus? Zeus would be able to take care of me without even moving his little finger."

" _Think_ about it, Percy." Thalia looked stressed, as if she hadn't slept in days. "What _is_ Camp Half-Blood?"

Percy's brow raised in question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what do you _do_ in camp?"

Percy thought for a second. "We protect each other from Monsters, train to fight-."

Thalia cut him off suddenly. " _Exactly_." She looked to Percy. " _You train to fight_. And how many campers do you have?"

"One hundred." He replied quickly.

She nodded. "You have _one hundred_ , highly trained, physically fit, battle hardened demigods at camp only an hour or so from Mount Olympus. You have a _literal_ army at your beck and call, Percy. One that has, and _will,_ go to war with you." Percy opened his mouth to speak but she continued. "Let's also say that somehow, you manage to talk Reyna and Frank into joining you. Now your small army of a hundred demigods? Increase that to almost four hundred." She looked Percy dead in the eye, her voice deadly serious, emphasizing each word. " _Four hundred_ highly trained, militarized, well armed and powerful demigod and Legacy soldiers. If you were to attack Olympus with _four hundred_ soldiers, added with your skill, influence and near immortality with the Curse of Achilles? My father fears that you might be able to win."

She continued. "Now, think about us, the hunters of Artemis. Who do you think we would side with in the war?" Percy didn't have to think it over, it wasn't even a question, he _knew_ Artemis and Thalia would side with him. Artemis even said as much when she made him an honorary hunter. He remembered her words that day, " _We hunters stand together, if you are ever in need, you only need use the whistle, and my hunters and I will come and wage holy war."_. He thought about it to himself, _This must have been what Artemis meant back then._ Thalia continued, her tone staying the same. "And what about all of the minor gods that feel that the Olympians are treating them as second class citizens? Do you think they would side with their king and queen that have never treated them as equals or with the person trying to overthrow them?"

Percy let all of that sink in for a few minutes. He knew that Thalia was right, about everything. Right that if he asked, maybe not all, but a good majority of the campers _might_ actually go to war with him. He had just never thought of it that way, but as the leader of the War Council at camp and all of the new training they have started since the last war, he was forming a formidable army without ever really realizing it.

After another minute Thalia spoke up, her voice softer and calmer than before. "Now do you see why my father wants you dead?"

Percy nodded stiffly. "...I do." He mumbled softly before letting out a calming breath, his face turning more serious. "So, when is he going to plan on killing me?" He asked, all business again. "We need to prepare."

Thalia looked at her friend in awe. She'd never admit it to him, but she always admired how Percy turned out after the war. He had taken a leadership role at camp and helped turn it from a handful of average demigods into an army that could rival New Rome. He was still the same Percy after this whole time, somehow despite the odds, but whenever he was tasked with something he put on his 'leadership face' as Annabeth had called it when she told her about it, and got it done. Now, he was talking about making preparations to prevent his _own_ death without even blinking. Sometimes she forgets how much her little Kelp Head grew up since they first met. She shook her head, knocking those thoughts away, continuing.

"He's already tried." She answered, biting her lip. "At least three times."

Percy's eyes widened comically. "Three times?" He repeated.

"That I know of." She moved a little closer on the fallen log they sat on, dropping her head slightly. "The first was when he ordered you to fight that Leviathan at the bottom of the ocean six months ago. You know, when you went missing for nine days and he told all of us that you died? He must have been excited when that happened, he didn't have to get his hands dirty." Percy nodded, those were some of the worst nine days of his life. "The second time was during the Third Titanomachy, he was hoping that you and some of the other campers would die in the battle with the Titans. Two birds, one stone."

Percy cursed again. "That bastard." He mumbled. "Twenty four campers died that day because he _refused_ to help us. We might have _all_ died if my dad hadn't let my borrow his trident."

Thalia nodded. "I know, my father didn't like that either. He forbid the gods from helping but your dad and Hestia went around him and sent you your dad's trident." She said before letting out a longer breath, this time not looking at him. "The last time he tried to kill you… he asked _me_ to do it."

Percy's breath hitched, looking at his cousin in surprise. "What?" He demanded.

"Yeah," She mumbled under her breath. After a few seconds she managed to continue but still couldn't look him in the eyes. "He came to me one night when I was setting up snares alone a month or so after they went silent. I was surprised at first, and a little… _happy_ , because he's _never_ done that before, y'know? I thought he _wanted_ to see me, his daughter, but _no_." She bit her lip again, like she was trying to hold her emotions back. "But that didn't last for long. He started going on about loyalty and family and how he always rewarded those who sided with Olympus. Then, came the kicker; he asked me to side with him if Olympus would go to war, right before he asked me to sneak into camp at night and kill you in your sleep."

Thalia couldn't hold it in anymore, she burst into a sob, covering her mouth with her hands. Trying her best to not watch Percy look at her. After a few seconds he put a comforting hand on her shoulder, pulling her into his side and giving her a comforting hug. "That's not your fault, Thals." He started. "I trust you. I _know_ that you would never betray me."

"Damn right." She mumbled, her electric blue eyes finally looking into his sea green ones. "That Fatal Flaw of Loyalty you have for us? Well, right back at you." She lightly punched him in the arm. "I'd fight Olympus for you and Annabeth. Which, is also what I told my dad."

Percy paused. "...How'd he take that?" He asked.

Thalia snorted, rolling her eyes. "About as well as you'd expect. He screamed for a few minutes, calling me a traitor and a disappointment, said he should have asked one of his godly sons. Which, I in turn cussed him out about it."

Percy eyes widened again. "You did _not_ cuss out the King of the gods."

A small smile formed at the corner of her lips. "Yeah, _I did_." She said, more of a smile forming. "And it felt _good_ to get it all off my chest after all this time, actually. He's always been a shitty dad, so I told him so. We screamed at each other for a few minutes, but eventually I guess he finally figured out that I wasn't going to be intimidated by getting hit with a lightning bolt so he disowned me and left without another word."

"Oh Thals," Percy started, putting him around around her shoulders but she just shrugged.

"Nah, it's fine." She said, though her eyes betrayed her if you knew how to read them. "I have a new family with Lady Artemis and my sisters. A better family than _he_ ever was to me." She gave Percy a reassuring look. "I'll be fine, Perce, I swear."

Percy let out a breath, nodding. "Okay, but if you _ever_ need anything, just know that you're always welcome with Annabeth and I. Or, if you need anything calmer, with my mom. She's been dying to see you again."

Thalia smiled despite herself, trying to hide it behind her hand. "Your mom has _always_ been the best." She mumbled.

Percy smiled. "I know. I don't know what I ever did to deserve her." Thalia smirked at the goofy smile he always had on his face whenever he talked about his mom. She swears it's worse than the one when he talks about Annabeth.

Thalia looked like she was about to open her mouth to reply when suddenly mist appeared in front of them, a small rainbow coming out of it. A second later a familiar face appeared in the Iris Message. "Percy, oh thank the gods above. Fleecy didn't think we'd be able to reach you for a second there." The girl spoke, she looked to be about seventeen, was tall with an athletic body and tanned skin like she spent most of her time outside. She had long brunette hair and had a natural, pretty face with a warm smile, like she didn't know how to frown.

"Amethyst, what's wrong?" He asked the eldest daughter of and head camper of the Iris cabin now after Butch had died in the Third Titanomachy. As a daughter of Iris, Amethyst received free IM's and acted as the main messenger for the War Council as she was a member. "What's happening?"

Percy could tell that she was in the big house, in the newly built War Room where the War Council- or the heads of each cabin and select few veteran campers, like Percy and Clarisse- met and had meetings. They had moved from using the ping pong table in the rec room into their own room just before the Third Titanomachy. He could also see several other members of the Council behind her, running around and talking over each other frantically. Sherman Yang from the Ares cabin was fully armored up, so Percy knew that something had to be wrong.

"Our Hermes scouts found a large group of Monsters in the woods beyond the camp borders this morning." She explained calmly, she was always calm under pressure, almost scarily so. "Since you've left we've been having gradually larger and larger groups of Monsters attacking the camp every week or so. But now, Travis' scouts say that there are nearly a _hundred_ Monsters gathered outside the borders." From behind her, Jason appeared dressed in armor and his face filled the message.

"Percy?" He asked with confusion upon seeing his friend. He then turned to Amethyst. "I thought I said _not_ to bother him while he's busy with the hunters?" He turned back to face Percy, giving him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Perce, but I've been _trying_ to get them to _not_ IM you over every little thing. It seems like nearly everyday I have to tell someone not to bother you."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked. "What's going on?"

Jason looked off to the side, presumably listening to someone out of sight. He nodded before turning back to Percy. "Sorry, man. It'll take too long to explain, we'll tell you when you come back." He promised, taking his helmet from a pair of hands just beyond the IM that Percy assumed belonged to Piper. "The camp is under attack by Monsters again, but it's nothing to worry about." He sent Amethyst a look. "We can handle it without you. Amethyst wasn't supposed to-."

"Actually, _Clarisse_ ordered me to IM Percy." She cut him off kindly. "And as she's head of Camp Security, with Percy gone she's acting leader of the War Council and her orders supersede yours."

Jason blink, taken back. "Oh, well then…" He cleared his throat. " _Nevermind_." He gave an apologetic look to Amethyst which she waved off with a smile. To Percy, he said, "But I don't know how fast you'll be able to make it to camp from, _wherever_ you are-."

Thalia cut him off this time. "Canada."

Jason blinked again. "Thalia? Why are you in-? You know what, I don't want to know." He gave a quick wave to his sister before facing Percy again. "Just make it back here as fast as you can, bro. Honestly, we _need_ you back, we're up to our ears in problems. Camp has gotten a _lot_ worse since you left."

"I will." Percy relied. "You two get back to defending camp, I'll be there as soon as I can." They nodded and Amethyst was just about to cancel the IM when Percy spoke back up. "But before you go, Amethyst-."

"Yes?"

"-I need you to connect me with someone at Camp Jupiter."

"Sure thing. Who?" She asked.

"Hazel Levesque." He answered quickly. "I need to talk to her about a horse."

Not a half minute later, Percy and Thalia got into contact with Hazel at Camp Jupiter. The only problem was, she was in the _bathhouse_. With _Reyna_ of all people. Good thing Annabeth and Artemis weren't there with him, Thalia was bad enough.

You should have heard the Praetor scream, it was loud enough to shatter glass. Not a second later Thalia had her hand covering his eyes despite him already slamming them shut as Hazel and Reyna attempted to cover themselves with towels. After another minute the two grumbling girls seemed to calm down somewhat.

"Why must _every time_ you call me via IM be when I'm in the bathhouse, Percy?" Reyna demanded, referencing the first time he and Hazel had done so when they were at the Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyles, or R.O.F.L shop. Percy blushed despite himself behind Thalia's hand, if he could see he would have seen the matching blush on Reyna's face. Not to mention the horror-stricken look on Hazel's face.

"It's all part of my elaborate plan," Percy said with a serious voice. "As a son of Poseidon I can sense when you're in the water. It makes me the ultimate Peeping-Tom. You weren't supposed to catch on." Thalia elbowed him in the side, hard. " _Ow_. Sorry" He muttered before continuing, his eyes still covered by Thalia's hand. "Hazel, I need to borrow Arion, there's an emergency at Camp Half-Blood. I'm in Canada and need to get there, like, right now."

Hazel nodded. "I'll call him, it won't take more than a minute or two." She explained. "He doesn't really stay here, likes to stretch his legs."

"Thanks." Percy said. "I owe you one. And sorry again, Reyna, I _swear_ it's a coincidence." He told them goodbye before cutting off the IM, waiting for Arion. But thankfully he didn't have much time to wait for the fastest being on land to reach him. As Percy got on the back of the horse, Thalia spoke up.

"Wait, Percy." She said. "There's one more thing Lady Artemis wanted me to tell you."

"What?" He asked. He could feel Arion getting anxious under him. He wanted to run.

"Lady Artemis is worried that my father or another god, like Ares, will try to get one of their children to try to kill you at camp." Her eyes were filled with worry now, a contrast to her usual unflinching face. " _That's_ why she wanted you to travel with us until the Prophecy is over."

"Because she knew that I'd be safer with you and the girls." Percy stated rather than asked, understanding.

"Yes." Thalia nodded. "We only have a few demigods left in the hunt and none of them would kill you. Or even _hope_ to kill you, actually. As I'm pretty sure that a twelve year old daughter of Demeter wouldn't pose much of a threat to you." She turned more serious, giving Percy a worried look. "If you go back to camp now, then one of the gods might send one of their kids to kill you. You could be walking into their trap."

Percy's face was hard for a few seconds as he thought. He shook his head slightly to shake the thoughts away. "No, camp needs me. The Council needs me." Softer he said, " _Annabeth_ needs me. Sorry, Thals, but I _have_ to go."

Thalia wore a look like she expected nothing less. She let out a sigh. "Just take care of yourself, okay? And remember that you have the whistle Lady Artemis gave you in case you need our help. I'll have the hunt stay near camp, just in case."

He smiled in thanks. "I promise. See you soon." To Arion, his technically half brother(don't ask, godly families are weird), he said, "I need to get to Camp Half-Blood, it's an emergency. How fast can you get me there?"

Before he even finished the last word the fastest horse in the world took off like a bullet to camp.

oooOooo

 **(Camp Half-Blood, a few hours later)**

Percy arrived at camp just as the Karpoi were being roasted alive by Leo's fire blast. Or what he _hoped_ was Leo's fire, since the other explanation was that there was a raging fire in the woods outside camp. Percy may be the son of Poseidon, but putting out a forest fire was still asking a lot. Not only that, it would be hard to explain to the mortals in the farms around camp.

Not a half minute later he received his answer, thankfully it turned out that the forest was _not_ on fire and Leo was just using his fire to scare away the grain spirits. Percy hopped off the tired(any cussing like a sailor) horse and made his way to Leo.

"Leo," He called out over the roar of the fire. "Cool it with the fire, you'll burn the whole forest down!"

The son of Hephaestus turned around to find his friend, a massive smile on his face. "Perce!" He yelled out, thankfully stopping shooting out fire from his hands. "I didn't know you'd be back! How's it goin' man?"

"Defend camp now, talk later." Percy said quickly, clicking _Riptide_ and slashing it through the body of a Cyclops. "But it's good to see you too, Leo." He gave a quick smile before jumping to the side, dodging a club before driving his sword deep into the knee of another Cyclops. "Wheres Clarisse? Or Jason? Or anyone from the Council?"

Leo gestured vaguely back towards camp. "Clarisse set up a temporary command center by the arena. She's commanding everything from there."

"Thanks, Leo." Percy called out as he made his way to camp. "Go ahead and fall back to the defensive perimeter, it seems like the Monsters are retreating and we need to regroup."

He heard Leo yell "Aye aye, cap'n" as he too ran back to camp. As Percy neared the camp's borders he found the defensive, wooden spiked wall that ran around the entirety of camp they had built after the Second Titanomachy, with some Ares campers posted at the gate. They lowered their weapons once they recognized him.

"Percy?" Avery asked. "Is that you?"

"Since when have you been back?" Joan asked.

"Since about five minutes ago." He answered, stopping in front of them, looking for other campers, seeing none he faced them again. His next words came out a little more serious. "How are we doing?" It could have sounded like a usual question to the normal person, asking how they were doing, but to the demigods it meant that they were being asked a status report. By none other than the Leader and General of the War Council, in other words, their superior officer. Not all of the Ares campers liked him, but all of them _did_ respect the chain of command. The two Ares campers straightened their backs and stood at attention immediately. Percy inwardly smiled, Clarisse did a good job training them in his absence.

"A large, heavily armed force of Monsters were sighted by our scouts at approximately 0600 this morning but did not make to attack us until Sherman and a number of our siblings approached them at 0800." Avery said without missing a beat, he sucked in a quick breath before continuing. "Clarisse ordered us to mobilize and defend the camp borders, so far no Monsters have gotten into camp and casualties have been kept at zero."

Percy couldn't help but blink given that answer. Sure, the camp had taken on a more militaristic personality since the Second Titanomachy, with the campers being trained more like the demigods at New Rome than ever before, but Percy didn't expect an answer like that. "Thank you, Avery, for that concise and… _detailed_ reply." He nodded, trying to get used to being a 'superior officer' again. He was just another(or technically the only) guy with the hunters most of the time despite him training the newest hunters. It would probably take some time to get back into the more militaristic rhythm the camp has fallen in to. "Oh, at ease." He said after a second, remembering that they were still at attention. They relaxed, Joan looking to him expectantly while Avery remained more stoic.

"What are your orders, Percy?" She asked. "I assume that you will be taking over command again from Clarisse?"

He let out a breath, looking around them but not seeing any Monsters. "Yeah, I will. The Monsters seemed to have retreated for now. Regroup with the others and search for any wounded, but leave one person at the gate at all times." He said in his 'leader voice'. "I'm calling a camp meeting, have everyone gather in the Amphitheater. Let everyone know that you see."

"Will do." Joan said with a nod.

While Avery answered with a sharp "Yessir."

Percy let out a sigh as he went through the gate and into camp. It felt good to be back at camp where he belonged after being gone for so long, but he could already sense the tension around camp. Jason had mentioned that the camp was in even _worse_ shape than what it was when he left, so this was going to be fun.

Percy hadn't even been in the camp five seconds and he was already swarmed by people asking how he was, when he got back, what to do, etc. It was all a little jarring but nothing he wasn't used to by now. They started off fine, but soon they turned from greetings to questions and finally to problems.

"Percy!" Alice from the Hermes cabin greeted him with a smile, running up to him. "I didn't know you'd be coming back today."

"Hey man, how's it going?" Austin from the Apollo cabin asked. "Good to see you back."

"What are we doing?" Holly from Nike asked. "Are we supposed to continue our patrols like Clarisse said or meet up in the Amphitheater like you said?"

Laurel, her co-cabin leader answered beside her. "What Percy said, of course. He _is_ in charge of camp now."

"Oh, that makes sense." Holly gave him an apologetic smile as she waved goodbye before promptly running off with her sister to tell more campers that Percy was back.

"The outer wall is on fire! What do we do?" Someone asked him.

"Make way! Make way!" A voice called over the small crowd of demigods. A second later Percy sighted Pollux from Dionysus and Damien from Nemesis pushing their way through the group carrying a stretcher. Percy recognized the young boy on the stretcher as Sam, a new camper from Athena. Percy stopped them immediately.

"What's going on?" He demanded. "What happened to Sam?" He bent over the young boy, a sheet had been placed over him but a massive amount of blood could be seen bleeding through it. "Sam, are you okay?"

"Hell...hound…" He whispered weakly, as if it took all of his strength to not pass out from the pain.

"He was attacked by a Hellhound. Ripped open his stomach. We got him patched up with some field medicine and Nectar, but we're taking him to the Big House so the healers can work on him." Pollux answered for him. "The devil tried to drag him into the woods to finish him off, luckily, Leonidas was there to save his skin."

Percy's eyes widened. "Wait, _Leonidas-_?"

He was cut off by an explosion of wood coming from where the wooden barricade was supposed to be. Now the Chimera was in its place, growling and roaring as it burst through the wooden wall. Percy was about to draw _Riptide_ and charge the Monster but a blur of golden-tan fur burst from behind him and launched itself at the Monster.

"You shall burn in _Tartarus_ , beast!" Came a low, boisterous voice, connected to a giant of a man as he swung an impractically sized hammer at the Monster's face.

"Leonidas?" Percy repeated the name, not being able to so anything but stare in awe at the demigod as he took on the dangerous Monster by himself. "How… how did you…?" He broke off when a squad of campers in full armor lead by a large girl in heavy armor and a helmet with large ram horns rushed in to fight off the Chimera, launching arrows and javelins at the Monster.

"The wall has been breached!" The girl in the heavy armor shouted. "Campers, defensive positions! Protect the Big House and cabins! Shields!" She ordered and all of the campers around her lined their shields in a wall in one solid, quick motion. "Advance!" She yelled and the campers started to slowly move towards the Chimera, trying to drive it back out the wall as Leonidas held the lion's mouth shut with just his bare hands.

"Leonidas! Fall back!" The girl ordered. "Archers, draw!" Leonidas jumped back from the Monster and a second later she yelled, "Release!" A dozen or so arrows flew at the Chimera, all aimed at one of it's three heads. With a weak roar, the Monster fell to the ground, bursting into dust.

"Alright everyone." The girl yelled again, getting everyone's attention. "Stop standing around like a bunch of Medusa victims! We have a breach in the defensive wall, I want a squad from Hephaestus and Demeter to fix it asap!" She ordered, pointing to various campers as she did, completely not noticing Percy. "We have a lot of wounded, so I want every healer at the Big House now! Cecil, send a message to the barricade guards to extend rotations into the night. I don't care if they've been there twelve hours. We're low on manpower, _everyone_ needs to pull double duty."

Cecil from Hermes tore down the dirt path to the outskirts of the camp while the campers nearest the girl let out groans. But the girl continued like she didn't hear them. " _Why_ is everyone standing around? I said to form a defensive wall around the camp!"

"Because we were ordered to gather in the Amphitheater." Came Chiara's voice. The daughter of Tyche stepped up next to her fellow War Council member.

The girl in heavy armor turned to her, a somewhat aggressive tone in her voice. " _Whose_ orders?" She demanded.

"Percy's." Came her reply.

If all of the campers didn't know Percy was back, they did now. At once every pair of eyes in the camp turned to him, and so did the girl's in the heavy armor. "Prissy?" She asked, seeing him for the first time. Without wasting a second made her way to him quickly, slapping her large hand on his shoulder when she reached him. "It's good to see you, Percy." She said quietly so that other people wouldn't hear. In a louder voice she spoke to the large group of campers. " _Well_ , what are all of you standing around for? Percy told you all to gather in the Amphitheater. Double time, let's go."

The campers, not wishing to face her wrath, all ran to the Amphitheater. Once they were alone on the dirt path, the girl took of her horned helmet and ran a hand through her sweaty hair, giving him a quirked smile. "Damn this thing is hot." She muttered before signalling that they start walking to the Amphitheater. "But it's good to have you back, Prissy. I could really use your help. The shit has hit the proverbial fan as they say, I can't runt the camp by myself."

"It's good to see you too, Clarisse." He said, walking side by side with her down the path. "And what do you mean, what's happened at camp?" He asked. "Why wasn't the magical barrier up? Why is half the camp on fire?"

The daughter of Ares let out a long breath. "As you know, the magical borders around camp have been failing since before you left, but recently the past few months they've been dropping for longer and longer." She pointed a thumb at the defensive wooden wall around camp. "We've been having to build up, repair or replace the wall every week now. Recently Lou Ellen and the Hecate cabin have been putting up magical guards on the wall, but they haven't been enough. Strong enough Monsters can easily break through our line and get into camp."

"Have we lost any campers?" He asked.

Clarisse nodded her head once after a few seconds. "Unfortunately, we have. Eight in battle, but eleven more have died from their wounds so far." They stopped briefly outside the Big House. Apollo campers could be seen running around with bandages, Nectar, Ambrosia and first aid kits. "We've had to turn the entire bottom floor of the Big House into the infirmary. Will and his siblings have been working their asses off trying to keep everyone alive, they've prayed to every god or goddess of healing and medicine but so far, no gods have stepped in to help. Last I checked we had ten campers bedridden and two in critical condition."

Percy let that sink in as they walked into the Big House and looked at all of the wounded campers. He could see Sam in the back on an operating table, Will was working on him. There were campers everywhere. Not a single space on the floor was empty. If the number of wounded was anything to go by, then this attack was the worse one yet. But one thing didn't make any sense, "Where are all the Satyrs?" Percy asked. "Why aren't they helping the wounded with their healing magic? And where's Chiron? I haven't seen him yet. _He should be here_."

Clarisse's eyes dropped slightly. She gestured for him to follow her out of the Big House and away from prying ears. He did. After the were outside she spoke up. "Chiron's not here." She said.

"What?" Percy asked, confused. "Why? Where is he?"

"He's been summoned to Mount Olympus." She answered. "He told us after you left with the hunters. He's been gone since."

Percy's eyes widened. "But that was almost _two months_ ago." He said. "Who did the gods send in his stead? Is Mr. D back?"

Clarisse shook her head. "No, the gods didn't send _anyone_ to run the camp." She answered. "The Satyrs, Dryads, Nymphs as well as the cleaning Harpies have fled camp. _Every_ friendly Monster has fled the camp. We're all on our own." She rubbed her temple, as if she had a migraine. "So for the past two months we've been without magical borders, a director, Satyrs and Harpies to cook and clean for us."

Percy stopped walking, facing Clarisse with an open mouth. "What? Then what have you been doing? Who is running camp? How are the campers eating?"

Clarisse let out another sigh. "The War Council has taken leadership of the camp. With Chiron gone and Argus bedridden after the gods went silent, the head campers and I have had to step up and take charge."

Percy blinked. "No wonder Jason said that everyone had been wanting to contact me."

Clarisse nodded. "Yup, everyone's been trying to IM you over every little thing." She put on a whiny voice, impersonating the other campers. "'We have no food, let's call Percy', 'I don't want to eat field rations', 'Why isn't Percy back yet? I want Percy in charge, he'll let us eat normal food.' 'Where's Chiron? And the Harpies? I'm hungry'. _Geez_ , nothing but a bunch of big babies." She mumbled. "What's so bad about field rations? They're not _that_ bad."

Percy winced. "You're having them eat field rations?"

"We ran out of food!" She told him. "The strawberry and grape fields haven't been growing very well and without the Harpies or Mr. D we don't have anyone to magic us any food." She let out another sigh. "We have actually been debating whether or not we should go into town and buy a truckload of canned food. We have eighty one hungry campers, I- I-." She paused, looking to him. "I don't know what to do." She admitted. "I _thought_ that we could handle it without you… but it's been _Hades_ at camp without Chiron in charge. I've been up to my ears in problems. It seems like everyday that something goes wrong…"

She was silent for a few seconds as they walked. "Y'know I hate to admit it, Prissy, but we needed you back. We tried our best to not ask you for help but-."

"It's fine, Clarisse." He assured her. "You guys needed my help. That's all that matters to me. I would have come sooner if I'd had known."

Next to him, she lowered her voice so no one would hear despite them being alone. "Actually, Annabeth told us not to bother you." She whispered. "She didn't say why, but she said that we should let you stay with the hunters. She also told us to keep it to ourselves."

Percy wished he could tell Clarisse why he was gone for so long, but he couldn't risk it. Not at camp. Even if they were absent, the gods still had ears all around them. Instead, he said, "Well, I'm back now. So let's get to the Amphitheater. We'll talk to the campers and then call a Council meeting."

"Sure thing." She nodded. Her face dropped a little bit, her voice turning more serious. "But one more thing, did you meet someone on your trip named Leonidas?"

Percy's eyes widened, he had completely forgotten about him with everything going on. He nodded. "I did." He answered. "The hunters and I ran into him in Colorado."

Clarisse wore an unreadable expression on her face. "...How well do you know him?" She asked.

"Not at all." He answered honestly. "We accidentally started fighting each other thinking they were with the Monsters." They had made it the the edge of the Amphitheater and stopped, still talking in low voices. "He's _crazy strong._ He tossed me around like a ragdoll."

Clarisse looked like she didn't like but expected the answer. "I've noticed." She said. "He just showed up out of nowhere at camp one morning towards the end of last month. Said he ran into you with the hunters and said you told him about camp. Says he's a demigod." She eyed Leonidas near the bottom of the Amphitheater, he was sitting with the Hermes cabin. They couldn't hear him because of the distance, but he was laughing with a big smile on his face. From the expression of the campers around him, he apparently just finished with a joke.

"That's true," Percy nodded. "I told him about camp when he asked where I came from." His eyes widened slightly. "But I _didn't_ tell him where it was. Thalia stopped me before I did. How did he get here?"

"Just wanted to confirm." She let out a breath. "When I asked how he got here, he told me that he received the location one night in a dream. He called it a 'vision from the gods'."

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "It's _possible_. He wouldn't be the first demigod in the world to get a vision in his sleep."

Clarisse looked like she was about to say something but hesitated for a few seconds. "...Do you think we can trust him?" She asked.

Percy took a few seconds to answer. "...I don't know." He answered honestly. "He strong, probably one of the strongest demigods I've ever met, not just including his increased strength. But his skill as well." He thought back to their fight in the woods. All Percy could remember was feeling weak and scared when they fought, like his body was warning him about his opponent. "He told me that he's fighting against Gaea and the Titans. Which, I think I have to believe because of how many Monsters he killed. So he's clearly not with them…"

"What do you want us to do about him?" She asked, her eyes still locked on the mysterious man named Leonidas.

"Keep an eye on him for now." He said, watching the man talk to the Hermes kids, all of them laughing. "Has he caused any problems at camp?"

"Not so far." She admitted with a frown, like she _wanted_ him to cause problems. "He's a little loud and gets overly excited when telling stories of him hunting Monsters sometimes, but no, no problems. I've been having Sherman keep an eye on him during training. He gets a little 'too into' training, but overall he's been perfect. He gives the new campers pointers, volunteers for extra work and seems to get along with everyone. _Well,_ everyone, _but_ Drew."

"Drew?" He asked, dread in his voice upon hearing her name. "What did she do now?"

Clarisse rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly. "Damn near every Aphrodite girl _swooned_ when he walked into camp." She paused to make a rude gagging sound. "Drew followed him around for the first week like a love-sick puppy. Drool hanging out of her mouth and everythin'."

Percy raised a brow. "Why?" He asked.

She shrugged her wide shoulders. "Dunno, they must think he's hot or somethin'."

Percy gave her a subtle grin and a raised eyebrow. "And what do _you_ think about him, Clarisse?"

Clarisse let out a low growling sound. " _I_ _think_ that you shouldn't lump me in with the Aphrodite girls." She warned him with a glare before dropping it after a few seconds when she realized he wasn't intimidated. "But I'll admit, he has the whole 'man of mystery' vibe goin' on, and his handsome face and muscles don't hurt either." She elbowed Percy in the side without warning. "But if you tell _anyone_ I said that, I'll-."

Percy's lip curled in a smile. "I get it, Clarisse." He cut her off. "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret."

" _Anyway_ ," She continued. "Drew tried to hit on him from day one. Piper gave me the play by play, not that I _wanted_ to know, of course, but apparently Drew is love stricken." She made another gagging sound, pointing her finger at her open mouth.

"And what did Leonidas think of her following him around?" Percy asked. "How'd he react?"

"Not like you would expect." She admitted. "Piper told me that Leonidas didn't get _why_ Drew was following him around at first. Apparently, he just thought that she was being nice or didn't have anyone to talk to or somethin', so he was nice to her, which only made it worse."

Percy sighed. "It always does with Drew." He mumbled. "What else?"

"It wasn't until she just came out and asked him out when he figured out what she was doing." She paused, holding back a laugh. "And do you know what he did? He turned her down faster than I ever thought possible." This time Clarisse didn't bother holding in her laughter. "Drew was so surprised! Oh, ya shoulda seen the look on her face! It was priceless!"

"Really?" He asked.

"Yup. It was beautiful." She wiped a fake tear from her eye. "It was about time that girl had someone say no to her when she bats her eyelashes at them. If you wanna know more, ask Piper. She had to deal with the heartbroken girl."

"So I'm guessing that she wasn't too happy to be turned down?" Percy asked.

"You don't know the half of it." Clarisse mumbled as if she had to deal with it recently. "She's still following him around and trying to flirt with him, but it's like she's trying to seduce a brick wall. The guy is just not interested in her at all. Or _any_ girl at camp, really." She added as an afterthought.

"Well, that's good I guess." Percy mumbled. "Means less problems along the line. I've lost track of the number of bad breakups we've had at camp over the years. They just always cause problems."

"Hear hear." Clarisse agreed before nodding towards the Amphitheater. "Looks like everyone has gathered up, let's get all the mushy hugs and 'I missed yous' out of the way already and get back to work. So you're back, _big whoop_. These people need to get a life."

Percy snorted. "Don't pretend that you weren't glad to see me, Clarisse." He gave a look of mock hurt. "We both know you wouldn't know what to do without me."

"Ha! That's rich," She chuckled. "I only wanted you back because I'm tired of working my ass off and sick of all the complaints."

"Whatever you say," He smiled, before heading into the Amphitheater. "Now, let's get down there and get this camp meeting started. We're still going to have to have a War Council meeting after it, so let's not make it too long."

"Whatever ya say, Prissy." She said from behind him as they walked down the stairs. All of the demigods present either called out to Percy or came up and greeted him. After a few minutes he managed to get everyone to sit down. He made his way to the podium where Chiron usually stood and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Thank you all for coming. Yes, I know, I'm back, but now's not the time to celebrate. I've been briefed on the situation here at camp." He looked around to the sixty or so able bodied campers around him. "We have a lot of work to do to get Camp Half-Blood back up and running like it should. So I expect _everyone_ to pitch in and help out. The War Council will be gathering after this to plan what we are going to do from now on without Chiron, Mr. D, the Satyrs and Harpies." He looked behind him to where every member of the War Council sat, gesturing to them. "We have a lot to do, so, let's get started."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **So we've lost nineteen more campers… I** _ **did**_ **say that this story would shy away from deaths, didn't I? I think I did. Anyway, Percy's back at camp! Woo! Next time will be a lot of Percy fixing up and leading camp. I'll try to get as much done this weekend as possible.**

 **Let me know how you liked the chapter with a Review. Don't forget to Follow/Favorite too! They always make me smile**

 **I'll try to get the next chapter out asap. Have a great day,**

 **Hephaestus**


	10. Ch 4: The Man Named Leonidas

Chapter 4: The Man Named Leonidas

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, sorry about the delay, this chapter turned out to be** _ **much**_ **longer than I thought it would be, even with taking a part out(48 pages, fyi). As always I have a few things to let you know before we get started:**

 **First, we get more Leonidas in this chapter, if that wasn't obvious by the title. His backstory isn't for the faint of heart and gets kind of messed up. We'll be learning a little about him in this chapter, somethings I'm not quite sure how you guys will take. Obviously I love him, since I know everything about him, but you guys don't yet so I'm curious to how you take it.**

 **Second, everyone's favorite and most beloved character makes an appearance in this chapter, Drew Tanaka! Wait, what was that, you all hate her because she's a conniving b**** and pretty much the entire fandom hates her and she's dragged through the mud in virtually every story she's in? Well, get ready to hate her even more. A quick reminder what her power is, it's Charmspeak, the same one Piper has that lets you control the minds of people that works better of people of the opposite gender. Keep that in mind.**

 **Third, as you know I have a Poll up on my Profile for my next Pertemis story, please vote on it so I know which one to do first.**

 **Fourth, can I ask for some Reviews? It seems to me that pretty much everyone is liking this story so far, but without Reviews telling me why I don't know what to keep and what to change. While you're there let me know if you like longer or shorter stories, so I know if I should lengthen this story or not.**

 **Fifth, so, pet names, what are your thoughts on them? Like them? Hate them? Well I suck at them since I'm eternally single so I don't know what to use. I want the couples to use more than names, nicknames like Seaweed Brain and things like 'babe'. Let me know if you have any ideas for any or if my few in here are too cringy.**

 **Lastly, I'll be going to Denver Pop Culture Con(formerly comic con) this year for all three days. If any of you will be in the area for any reason and are going, PM or tweet me, I'd love to meet up and say hi. I don't have anything planned, of course, but I'd like to meet one of my readers in person one day.**

 **Well that's all of them, sorry that was so long. I try to be as brief and as descriptive as possible in my AN's. I'll see you guys at the bottom!**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Man Named Leonidas

 **(April 2, 2011, Later that afternoon, Big House, War Council Room)**

After finishing the camp meeting at the Amphitheater and assigning the campers various tasks, Percy called a War Council Meeting. The War Council was made up of the heads(usually the eldest camper of each cabin or the most responsible member of it, in Piper's case) of each cabin and a select few so called 'veteran campers' that had moved out of the cabins after turning eighteen but still kept leadership roles in the camp. Not every veteran camper was on the Council, however, some after reaching eighteen stayed at camp but decided to help around and not take up such a leadership role. At the moment, Percy and Clarisse were the only veteran campers on the Council. Annabeth had been offered a seat, of course, but turned it down in favor of focusing on her online schooling. Wishing that Percy would do the same as well, much to her chagrin.

Percy sat in his seat in the War Council Meeting room, waiting for the others to make their way in. They met on the second floor of the Big House in a fairly large, open room. The room, as it seemed, had seen more use and been turned into a sort of office/command center in Percy's absence. Books, paper, pens, maps, lists of supplies, activities and campers, a watercooler, desk fans, cork and whiteboards filled the room. Smaller desks and tables dedicated to a few specific members lined the walls, adorned with staplers, paperclips, sticky notes and everything an office of people would need. All in all the room looked like someone had robbed an office cubicle supply store and dumped the contents in the room.

At the center of the room sat a large, custom wooden table that the Hephaestus cabin built specifically for the room. Each cabin had their own seat around the table, except for the few that had co-leaders, which in their cases they had two. It was in the shape of a large U, reminiscent of the layout of the cabins outside, but the order was vastly different. Instead of having Zeus and Hera at the front, or the bottom of the U, the two seats were reserved for the General of the War Council and the acting second in command. In this case that was Percy on the right and to his left, Clarisse, who was also Head of Security for the Camp in Argus' absence. The camp currently had twenty four cabins in total, yet not every one of them contained campers and were only honorary, such as the Hera cabin. On each side of the large table were twelve nameplates, one for each god, with either one or two chairs behind it(depending on if the cabin had co-leaders or not).

On Percy's right were the first and original cabins and their respective leaders. Jason, naturally, led the Zeus cabin with an empty, honorary seat for Hera on his right. Following Hera's empty seat came another empty seat, Poseidon's. Since Percy had moved out of his cabin and taken the leadership role of the Council, he no longer sat in his old seat. Technically, if Tyson were to ever visit camp and attend a meeting, he would be given Percy's old seat on the Council. After Poseidon camp the following; Katie and Miranda from Demeter, Sherman for Ares, Malcolm from Athena, Will for Apollo, Thalia's empty seat for Artemis, Leo from Hephaestus, Piper for Aphrodite, Travis from Hermes and Pollux for Dionysus.

To Percy and Clarisse's left were the next and newer twelve cabins and started first with Nico for Hades then followed with Amethyst from Iris, Clovis for Hypno, Damien from Nemesis, Laurel and Holly from Nike, Paolo for Hebe, Chiara for Tyche and Lou Ellen from Hecate. The final four seats on the left side were for the four newest cabins, starting with Gardenia for Persephone, the goddess of Spring and the Queen of the Underworld. To her left was an empty, honorary seat for Kymopoleia, the daughter of Poseidon and the goddess of Violent Seas and Sea Storms, as well as Percy's half sister. To the left of the empty seat was a small, formerly Amish boy named Kent, the youngest member of the Council at eleven, as well as the only known child of Aristaeus, the minor patron god of animal husbandry, bee-keeping and fruit trees. Finally, at the end of the left side of the table was a tall, stocky, heavily muscled girl named Mika who was the only daughter of Palaestra, the goddess of wrestling.

Once everyone was seated Percy began the meeting, feeling like the situation called for him to hit the table with a gavel. "Thanks for coming on such a short notice, everyone."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Pollux said form the opposite end of the table, waving at Percy. "We're just all happy you're back."

"Same here." Travis agreed, nodding with Nico and the rest of the council.

"Well, we can celebrate later," Percy said as he was being handed a small stack of papers from Amethyst, the daughter of Iris as well as the messenger for the council. "Get me up to speed. What's going on with camp? What do we need to do?"

On the right chair nearest him, Jason spoke up. "Well, first off, Chiron's been summoned to Olympus by my father. We have no idea when he'll be coming back."

"On top of that the gods didn't send anyone to run the camp for us." Chiara from Tyche said from the middle of the left side of the table. "We don't have a camp director."

"I've brought Prissy up to date on all of that." Clarisse spoke up from next to Percy. "Let's get to the pressing matters, we've run out of food, don't have any camp schedules for activities or people set up for chores and the camp is under attack, we need a solid defensive plan." She explained, placing her large arms on the table. "Chiron's schedules only lasted until the end of the month, so we've been making it up as we go."

"Who's been in charge of the schedules so far?" Percy asked.

"We all have." Damien from Nemesis answered. "The council has been voting on everything."

"But it takes too long for us to decide everything." Malcolm, head of the Athena cabin said. "I'm all for equal voting so we all agree, but it just takes too long when all twenty three," he gestured to Percy. "Twenty four of us now, have to vote on every single thing. It's just illogical for all of us to have to vote on the camp schedules."

"I agree." Piper spoke up. "Chiron handled all of this stuff on his own when he was here, it shouldn't take all twenty four of us to do what he did. We should have one person make the decisions," She gestured to everyone around her. "We can all suggest what we think, we _are_ a council for a reason, but ultimately the final decision on running camp should be up to one person."

"But we agreed on voting so that not one single person had more power than the other." Gardenia countered. "It's not like I think anyone here _would_ use their power in a bad way, but it's more fair if we vote."

"Voting is fine when it comes to larger decisions," Nico spoke up suddenly from his seat at the front of the left side of the table, nearest Clarisse. "But for the day to day decisions we should let one person decide them. Look," He eyed every member of the council. "I've been to New Rome, I've seen how they run things. They vote on every little thing, with an even larger group than us, and they just end up holding debates that go nowhere and they usually don't actually achieve whatever they were trying to do. Voting is fine sometimes, like if we need to elect new leaders at camp or decide on quests, but for which cabin is doing which activity at a certain time? Only one person needs to decide that."

"I agree with Nico." Will nodded, which received several nods from across the table.

"But that begs the question, who's gonna be in charge?" Sherman asked.

Without preamble all eyes in the room silently turned to Percy. He sighed under his breath. "Me?"

"Makes sense." Leo spoke up from next to Piper. "You're already general when we go to war, you should be in charge all the time too."

"I move that from here on that we make Percy the temporary camp director in Chiron's stead until he comes back." Malcolm spoke up, facing Percy and then the rest of the council. "Shall we vote on it? Clarisse?" He turned to face the daughter of Ares. "As second in command you have the right to the position too, if you want it."

Clarisse let out a huff, crossing her muscular arms over her chest, giving Percy a smirk. "As much as I'd love to boss Prissy here around, I called him back to camp for a reason. I couldn't handle it by myself, none of us could, I wasn't born to sit in an office all day and do paperwork. He can have that job."

"That settles that, then." Malcolm said, sitting up straighter in his seat. "Percy? What do you say?"

"I accept." Percy said without hesitation. "If the camp needs help I'll be here to help it. If it needs a leader, then I'll step up." He scanned the eyes of the other campers. "As long as no one has any objections, of course."

"All in favor?" Clarisse asked, putting her hand up first. Silently all of the twenty two other hands shot up. It was unanimous. "Well then, looks like you're in charge, Prissy." She elbowed him in the side.

"What should we decide next?" Will asked. "I say that we try to figure out what to do about not having any food. We have twenty seven sick and wounded demigods on the first floor. We're quickly running out of Nectar and Ambrosia, they need good, healthy food to get them back up and running again."

"I agree." Percy said, looking to Katie and Miranda. "The Demeter cabin is usually in charge of the strawberry fields." He looked to Pollux, Gardenia and Kent as well. "Your cabins can also help, since your parents are all connected to plants and crops. Starting tomorrow morning I want every member of your cabins working double time in the fields to help the crops grow. We don't have Mr. D or the Satyrs anymore to grow them for us, we'll have to do it ourselves."

"We've already tried everything we can, Percy." Katie said. "We're using all of our powers to just keep them alive."

"What are we growing again?" Sherman asked.

"Strawberries, grapes now that Mr. D is gone, blueberries, sunflowers and apple trees." Miranda answered.

"I can try to pray to my dad about helping the apple trees." Kent said. "My dad, Aristaeus, is the god of fruit trees, maybe he can help."

"I doubt it would do any good, though." Holly said from beside her sister, Laurel. "The gods have been silent for ten months now. We've been praying and sacrificing to them every single day and, nada. They just won't answer."

"But we have to try." Percy said from the head of the table, looking to the same demigods. "I'm sure that between the four of your cabins that you can help the crops grow. Any amount of food we can get will help."

"What about going into town and buying a truck load of food like we were thinking?" Leo asked. "Are we still doing that?"

Percy shook his head. "No, at least, not right now. We can last on provisions for a little while longer as we wait for the first crops to ripen." He turned to Kent, the youngest member of the council. "Your dad is the god of animal husbandry, right?"

"Yeah," The scrawny boy nodded. "Why?"

"If we get some chickens, cows or something, do you think you can help us raise them?"

The small boy nodded. "Of course, farm animals love me, I've been raising them since I could walk. They pretty much do anything I ask. But we'll have to build pens, get feed and put feeding schedules in place and assign a group of people to tend to them." He said, saying more than he usually said in an entire day. "Raising livestock isn't like keeping a pet fish or a dog, we'll have to wait some time before we can even move them in."

Jason noticed Percy putting his hand to his chin in thought. "What are you thinking, Perce?"

"We have plenty of free room by the fields, we can have the Hephaestus cabin start building up pens and housing for them." He looked to Leo and Kent. "Leo, you'll be in charge of having you cabin building everything we need. Go to Kent and have him tell you what we need. Kent, go down o the fields and make a list of everything we need and give it to Amethyst," He said looking to the daughter of Iris. "From there she can make sure it goes to the cabin leaders that will be handling it."

"Sounds good to me." Amethyst smiled, nodding as she made a note in the notebook in front of her.

"That's sounds like a lot of unnecessary work to me," Paolo said. "Wouldn't it just be easier for us to go into town and buy the food we need?"

Percy shook his head. "It's too dangerous. With the gods gone, the Monsters are running around more than ever. If we need to leave camp, we'll do it in armed and well experienced groups." He looked to every camper in the room. "As of now I hereby forbid anyone to leave the camp unless it's approved by the council. The gods are gone and the Monsters and Titans still want us dead and will do anything to do it. We just can't risk it."

"Then how will we get the animal's if we can't leave?" Kent asked. "If you're expecting me to wiggle my nose and make them poof into existence, then you're crazy.'

"You'll be going to the farms around camp with a few Ares guards." Percy explained. "Once we get everything ready, of course. Think you can do that, Kent?"

"Of course." He nodded under his wide brimmed hat. "I also have a few beehives outside my cabin, with my father being the god of beekeeping and all, so we have honey as well."

"How many do you have?" Piper asked.

"Only two hives." Kent replied. "But I have several young queens I can move into new hives. They don't listen like farm animals, since they don't have much of a mind to communicate with, but I can try to increase the amount of honey they make."

"Have your bees also help with pollinating the crops," Katie said. "We really need it."

"Will do." Kent nodded.

"Well we have a plan for food along the line," Clarisse said. "But what about now? We can't wait until we get everything ready."

"What about fish?" Mika asked from the end of the table, looking at Percy. "Can't you just get a school of fish to jump up on shore so we can eat them?"

Percy grimace. "I don't think I could do that," He replied. "My dad probably wouldn't be so happy. Besides, I don't like killing fish, as the son of Poseidon they don't really like it."

"The fish?" Mika asked. "But they're just fish."

"Not to my dad. It's complicated."

"We can do what Leonidas suggested the other day." Lou Ellen said.

"And what's that?" Percy asked.

"Hunt some animals in the woods. We know we have deer and rabbits. He said that we can set traps for the rabbits and hunt some deer." She said simply. "He even volunteered."

"I don't know." Jason said, a worried look on his face. "The forest is sacred land to the gods, I don't think that they'll take kindly to us killing their animals."

"I know one for sure that wouldn't mind." Percy said from his spot. "Artemis."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't even be able to contact her to ask." Damien said. "I don't think we should kill any animals in camp. They might be a sacred animal of one of them for all we know. We don't want to piss of the gods anymore than we already have."

"Do you think that Lady Artemis would be okay with us killing animals in the forest, Percy?" Piper asked. He nodded. "Then I think that we should. We will starve if we don't."

"I'll send a quick prayer to Artemis asking about it tonight at dinner." Percy said, looking at the paper in his hand. "But I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She can just make more of them anyway."

"What's next?" Holly asked.

"Assigning people to lead group activities and lead classes." Percy replied, reading the paper. "With Chiron gone we need someone to take over the masters archery class." He looked to Will. "Can you-."

"No." Will quickly shook his head. "Like I said, I have twenty seven wounded campers to look after. I'm up to my ears in work. I can't." He gave Percy an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I'm not even the best archer in Apollo."

"Then pick whoever you think would be best for the job." Percy said. "I'll trust your judgement."

"How about we ask Leonidas to do it?" Leo said, an excited smile on his face. "I heard that he beat the hunters in an archery contest! He'd be great."

"Where did you hear that from?" Percy asked.

"Leonidas." Leo said simply. "He told us a whole bunch of stories the first night he got here at the campfire."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Pollux said. "His hunting stories are always really cool. He's like a master storyteller."

"What he said was true, right?" Holly asked Percy. "Did he _really_ beat the hunters in an archery contest?"

Percy nodded. "He did." He said before moving onto the next item on the list. "Next up, we need to decide who will be leading the master swordsmanship class." He looked to Clarisse besides him. "Any chance you can-."

"Wait," Holly spoke up suddenly, looking to Percy with a confused look. "Why can't _you_ lead the class like you were doing before? You _are_ the best sword fighter we've had at camp in a century."

"I'm too busy." Percy said, looking down to the small pile of papers in front of him. "I'll have to spend most of my time running the camp, I won't have the time to run a two hour class every other day. Clarisse? How about you?'

The daughter of Ares shook her head. "I'm already teaching the hand to hand combat class _as well as_ running the camp defenses. I can't either."

"I'll do it." Sherman from Ares said. "I ran the beginners class last year, I'll take the master class and give the beginners to one of my siblings."

"Works for me." Percy nodded. "Well, we have more to do, so let's continue."

 **. . .**

 **(A few hours later)**

"Kent, make sure you get that list to Amethyst and she'll get it to the Hephaestus cabin." Percy said before turning quickly to Lou Ellen. "I want you and your cabin to try putting more protective magical wards on the walls tomorrow. Then talk to Katie and Miranda and see what you can do about trying some of the Satyr's nature magic on the fields." The daughter of Hecate nodded.

Percy stood, pushing his chair back, looking to everyone around him after eyeing the clock on the wall. "It's almost time for dinner, Katie, Miranda, have your siblings start making dinner if they haven't already. I'll make an announcement to the campers before we start eating." He let out a long breath. "Well, if that's everything, I'll be working on the cabin schedules until dinner if anyone needs me-."

Jason cut him of suddenly. "You can do that later, isn't there something _more important_ you should be doing right now?" He asked.

Percy looked confused for a second before his eye lit up, shuffling the papers in front of him and grabbing one. "Oh yeah, the chore schedules-."

"Not that." Piper interrupted him this time, looking at him with a narrow gaze. "Annabeth?" She asked. "Your girlfriend who you haven't seen in two months? WHat about her, ring any bells?"

"Ah _Hades_." Percy cursed.

"Hey," Nico cut in. "Leave my dad out of this. It's not his fault you don't pay attention."

"I didn't even see her when I got back…" His eyes widened. She wouldn't be happy about that, crap. He turned to Gardenia. "I need some flowers. The prettiest you have."

The daughter of Persephone gave him a smirk, raising her brow. "And you think that some pretty flowers can make up for the fact that you forgot to see her first?"

"Yes?" He asked hopefully before sighing, defeated. "Ah man." We rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as the entire council judged him with their eyes. "I gotta go see her, I'll be back for dinner."

With that the son of Poseidon left the room and headed for his apartment. "I swear," Piper said shaking her head slowly. "That boy can be either really romantic or completely oblivious, there's no in between."

"That's true with _all_ boys." Holly said, smirking.

"Hear hear, sister." Laurel gave her a high five, laughing.

" _Oh, I_ get it." Leo said deadpanned. "So boys are terrible."

" _You_ sure are." MIka mumbled from the end of the table.

" _Hey_!"

"If we're done here then I gotta get back to the defensive wall." Clarisse said, rising from the table. "Council dismissed."

oooOooo

 **(In Percy and Annabeth's apartment)**

Percy silently made his way into their apartment, making sure to be a quiet as possible. He was hoping to surprise her, maybe it would lessen her anger if she didn't hear him coming? He doubted it, but it was worth a shot.

Percy made his way through their tiny living room, it was just as he remembered it. Nothing had been messed up in his absence, but, knowing Annabeth, that wasn't surprising. But no Annabeth in the living room or kitchen. Which meant she was probably either in their bedroom or their office. Honing all of his stealth skills, Percy made his way down the hallway and in front of the open door to their room. His smile widened as soon as he saw her.

There she was, dressed in one of his large t-shirts and a pair of short sitting at the small desk, working on her laptop with her headphones on. He snuck up behind her close enough to hear her music, it was 'California Gurls' by Katy Perry, not something he would expect her to be listening to, but it made him smile regardless. Not being able to control himself any longer, he got up right behind her, whispered "I'm home, Wisegirl." And kissed her on the side of her neck right where he knew made her melt.

What Percy expected to be a romantic moment, turned into a painful one when without warning Annabeth turned in her chair, yelled "Hiyah", grabbed his arm and judo flipped him to the ground, his feet crashing into the small table and almost knocking her laptop to the floor.

"Ow!" He cried from the carpet. "What in the gods names did you do _that_ for?"

"Percy?" She yelped, letting go of the arm she was twisting almost out of its socket. "What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?" She chastised him. "You _know_ I hate that."

"...I was _trying_ to be romantic." He mumbled as she helped him to his feet, he held out a now slightly messed up bouquet of flowers. "Surprise?"

"Oh, they're beautiful." She smelled them, fixing the messed up flowers. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I missed you _so_ much, Seaweed Brain."

"I missed you more." He whispered into her hair, lightly kissing it. "I wanted to IM you everyday, but-."

"But you were busy, I know." She pulled away slightly to face him, her nose touching his. "I didn't know you'd be back today."

"Neither did I. I got an IM from Amethyst saying that the camp was under attack and I came right over."

She kissed him, letting her lips linger on his. "Well I'm glad you're back, I was lonely without you."

He couldn't stop the smirk on his lips and he kissed her back, longer than necessary but neither of them cared. "I'm sure you were, because I was lonely too."

Annabeth let her head lean into his shoulder, just enjoying the fact that he was here again. Relishing in the feeling of him next to her again. After a minute of him just holding her, she looked up to again. "...You have to leave to go back with the hunters again, don't you?" Her face has hard, like she didn't care but Percy knew her enough to be able to read her eyes. She was worried and holding back tears.

He lightly shook his head, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. "No, I'm done traveling with them." He said softly. "We killed the elder _Hydra_. I was getting ready to leave when I got the IM."

"Really?" Her eyes widened, her grey orbs turning brighter. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Of course not, love." He whispered, a smile on his lips. "I wouldn't lie to you."

She hugged him even tighter and he relished in remembering how great it felt to hold her in his arms. "Are you working with the council again?"

He nodded. "Yeah, the camp is in rough shape, they needed my help more than I thought."

"I see." She sounded a little disappointed, most likely because that meant that he would have less free time to spend with her. Even before he left, Percy rarely had a lot of free time. It would be even worse now. "When do you have to leave?"

"In a little over an hour." He answered, eyeing the time on her laptop. "I have to give the campers an update at dinner. You coming?"

"Of course," She smiled before looking down to her clothes, tugging on the t-shirt of his she stole some times several months ago and refused to give back because it smelled like him and she liked to wear it when the was gone. "But not in this, I've been studying all day, didn't take a shower this morning. How about we take a shower, change and go from there?"

Percy smile turned into an suggestive smirk, his brow raised dangerously. "A shower?" He asked, his voice even more suggestive. "You mean _together_?"

Her cheeks flushed red immediately, her eyes widening and her mouth opening in shock. "I _meant_ separately, you doofus." She slapped him in the arm playfully. "Here you are coming back after being gone for two months and asking me _that_."

"We've done it before." He said in his defense.

Her face reddened even more. "That was at the beach in the public showers, you loon." She said, quickly. "And we _were in swimsuits!_ "

"I still thought it was hot." He chuckled, having fun seeing her face red even if his face was too.

"Of course you would." She mumbled into his ear. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

His smile threatened to split his face in half. "You're damn right I would." He laughed.

She laughed too, lightly pushing him back and gesturing to their bathroom connected to their room. "Go take a shower, _alone_ -."

" _Ah man_." He whined.

"You reek to high Olympus." She said, covering her nose with her fingers in show of mock disgust.

" _Fiiine_." He groaned, walking to his dresser and pulling out a fresh pair of pants and underwear. "I'll go take a shower, _alone,_ all _by myself_ , lonely in the _giant_ shower big enough for _two people_." He called over his shoulder as he made his way into the shower.

She called out to him right before the disappeared behind the door. "Wait, Percy."

"Yeah?" The asked, his head popping out from the doorway.

Annabeth sat on the bed with a suggestive smile on her own lips. "Hurry in the shower and we might find something to do with our free time." She finished with a wink, something that she felt foolish doing but thought Percy would like it. Besides, it wasn't the worst thing she's done. Not even close.

"I'll be out in a second." He said before slamming the door with enough force to almost rip it off its hinges. Needless to say but Percy took the fastest shower of his entire life.

oooOooo

 **(April 2, 2011, Later that evening)**

It was an hour after dinner in the pavilion and the entire camp was sat around the campfire in the setting sun, handing out s'mores as the Apollo cabin began to tune their guitars and warm up their voices. And even after all of that time, Percy couldn't wipe the big goofy smile off of his face no matter how much the tried. His time before dinner with his girlfriend was well worth the two months wait, if you caught his meaning. Now only if other people didn't notice the dumb look on his face.

"I see the flowers you stole from outside my cabin helped." Gardenia said as she stood next to him by the fire, her smirk letting him know that she wasn't fooled. "Did Annabeth pay you back for them in kind?"

"Shut up." The whispered, looking to a group of younger campers a few feet away. "They could hear you."

The daughter of Persephone only giggled. "Oh, I'm pretty sure they're already familiar with it. I hear the Aphrodite girls have been trying to teach the younger girls about the 'harpies and the cherubs'." She said moving her fingers in quotation marks.

Percy let out a grumble. "I'll have to talk to Piper about it."

Gardenia giggled again. "You do that, Percy." She said as she started to leave before calling over her shoulder. "Oh, and I'd wipe that goofy smile off your face before an Aphrodite girl, or gods forbid, _Piper_ , sees it!"

"Shut up!" The hissed but louder than the meant and suddenly the found that all of the eyes of the nearest campers were looking right at him. "Oh, uh, that was nothing." He lied, trying to keep his blush hidden as he heard Gardenia's laugh sounding in the distance. "Get back to what you were doing."

A few minutes later and every able bodied camper has sat around the large campfire, singing songs led by the Apollo cabin, talking, or like a select few and dancing animatedly to the music. All in all it made Percy smile. Camp was _always_ home for him, he didn't know what it was, but something here just made him feel at home and relaxed. Maybe it was the fact that he had spent so many years here, known so many friends here, or that this was the place where he met Annabeth, but it just felt _right_ being here. Like this was the place where he belonged. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Annabeth sit next to him, handing him a hot chocolate.

"You okay, Seaweed Brain?" She asked, handing him the cup.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." He apologized, rubbing the back if his neck. "I was just thinking."

" _Dangerous_." She mumbled into her cup. "There's no telling what could have happened if you actually succeeded."

"Oh, quiet, you." He chuckled as he placed his free arm over her shoulder, bringing her in close.

"It's what you get for giving me a hickey." She whispered low enough so that other people wouldn't hear, placing her hand on her neck now masterly hidden by a scarf. "And on my neck too, _why_ couldn't you leave it somewhere no one could see it?" She ended with a soft chuckle.

"Because you turned down my shower idea." He whispered back, his lips ghosting over her ear. "It's what you get. I'll hide it better next time." He smirked.

She lightly pushed his face away. "Stop that, you," She smiled, trying to keep her body under control. It was still over sensitive from their earlier 'activity'. "People are watching. Save that for later."

"Oh, _I intend to_." He whispered back just as the Apollo kids finished the song and people began shouting their requests.

"Row your boat down the river _Styx_." One camper yelled.

"No no, 'We're going on a Erymanthian Boar hunt'!" Another called out.

"How about a story about heroes!" A young voice yelled next.

"How about a love story?" A girl from, _you guessed it_ , the Aphrodite cabin asked.

"I want a story about Monsters!" Another young voice called out and was repeated by several other campers. Seems like a story about Monsters it was.

"Alright." DJ, a son of Apollo who was the oldest member of camp at twenty six asked. He was usually in charge of the songs and storytelling, had been for as long as Percy had been at camp. "Which story do you want to hear? How about the story of Medusa? The Minotaur? Oh, _I know_ , how about the Chimera?" He raised up his hands and held out his finger like claws, causing the younger campers around him to laugh at his roars. He was always good with children, and as the eldest camper he was like an older brother or even a father to the youngest campers that had lost or never known theirs.

"A new story!" The same young camper requested. "I want a new story!"

"Yeah, a new story!" Several cheers were agreeing with him.

"A _new_ story?" The man asked, scratching the light stubble on his chin. "Hmm. Let me think, I'm sure I have a new story somewhere."

"How about the story of the Nemean Lion?" A low baritone voice asked from behind the small group of youngest campers. "Now that, was a wondrous tale indeed!"

"But we've _already_ heard that story." One kid said.

"Yeah, Heracles killed it." Added another.

If Leonidas was disheartened, he didn't show it. The giant man knelt next to the small children, a wide smile on his face as he held out his cloak. "That _is_ true, little ones, but you _have not_ heard the story of how _I_ slayed the mighty beast."

"Wha, really?!" One kid asked, his eyes huge as he looked at the Nemean lion skin in Leonidas' hands.

"Whoa! Cool!"

"Super cool!" Another cried, trying to get as close to the lion's head as possible.

" _Mega_ cool." Leonidas chuckled, his voice like a soft, low rumble inside his chest. "How about I tell you kids how I slew this fearsome beast?!" Leonidas asked, his deep, boisterous voice getting louder as he spoke, a massive smile on his face.

"Yeah!" The kids around him yelled.

"I wanna hear it too!" Leo cried as he made his way over, only to have Piper elbow him in the side. "What?"

"Act your age, Leo." She rolled her eyes at his antics as he ran off to the group.

"Then gather 'round, everyone!" Leonidas had the kids form a circle around him, standing with his back to the fire.

From beside him DJ whispered, "Thanks, man. I couldn't think up a new story on the spot." Leonidas nodded silently before facing the cheering kids again.

With the kids finally settling down enough for him to start, Leonidas put the cloak over his head, almost covering his face with the lion's. His voice louder and more animated than usual, a good thing, because the entire camp was listening to his story.

"The Nemean Lion," He started, his voice low and gravely, tilting his head down so the lion's piercing eyes looked at the kids. "Was the scourge of Nemea and the lands around the city. It was _no_ ordinary beast, it had an indestructible hide _so thick_ that no weapon, no matter how sharp or how deadly, could penetrate it." He bent his knees, moving his body so that it looked like the lion was moving in the shadows of the fire. "Arrows bounced from its hide, swords deflected from its fur." He quickly held up the paw of the lion in front of the kids, causing them to step back in surprise. "Its claws, each the size of a dagger, were the color of back steel and could tear through _any_ armor, no matter how strong it was."

In one quick motion he threw back his hood and summoned his spear from the tattoo on his left forearm, held it out in front of him at a safe distance from the kids and dropped into a stance, the flames of the fire reflecting off of the giant spear head. "For seven days and seven nights, I hunted the beast." He walked side to side in a low crouch, his spear still held in front of him. "Through snow, storm, fog and cold, the journey was long and dangerous," He quickly pivoted on the spot and faced the other way, his spear held out in front of him. "But I was ready for the challenge."

"It was on the eighth day on the beasts' trail that I learned that _I_ was not hunting _it_ , but that _it_ was hunting _me_." A few kids let out 'oohs' or 'what did you do's'. He continued to pace low in front of the fire, holding his spear as if he were still hunting the lion. "The beast and I circled the other in the blinding snowfall for _hours_ , trying to sneak up on the other and land the first blow." He flipped his hood back up and had the lion's head face the children, a few stepped back in surprise. "The mighty beast was smart, it used the sound of my breath and the heat of my skin to track me. But I listened too, and heard its massive paws in the snow as it crept ever closer."

"Then all of a sudden it leaped at me, its maw open wide!" He quickly turned to face the ids, the lion's open mouth shaking by the movement. Several of the kids yelled in surprise, but were too enthralled by the story to be scared. He was like a master storyteller, changing the tone and pitch of his voice to coincide with the story. He made use of the darkness and shadow expertly, using it to hide his body under the cloak so that it looked like the lion was right there in front of them, continuously moving side to side as if it were alive. "The mighty beast landed on my back, its curved, dagger-like claws digging into my back as it tried to bite through my helmet."

"But I was stronger than the beast expected!" He cried, throwing his hood back again and lifting his bare arms up, flexing them and showing his impressive muscles. "And I threw the beast from my back! Not wanting to waste a second, I summoned my gauntlets and tackled the animal with my mighty strength and pinned it to the ground!" He clenched his fists around the twin tattoos of lion heads in his palms and half a second later two massive celestial bronze gauntlets formed with ornate lion heads with open mouths over his large forearms and hands. The twin lion heads shinned and reflected in the changing color of the campfire behind him. Percy's eyes widened when he saw the gauntlets, he had no idea Leonidas had those weapons, and from the surprised looks of the older campers, neither did they.

"These gauntlets," He started, rising them in the air. "Contain the combined strength of the strongest demigods in history and increase my already massive strength by ten!" Several of the kids let out 'oohs' and 'aahs' at the over the top display. He continued, his voice louder and faster as he got to the fight. "The beast and I wrestled in the snow for a whole hour, neither of us gaining nor giving an inch, that is, until I called upon the strength of the gods and punched the mighty beast in the snout!" He shouted, throwing his gauntlet covered fist out over the heads of the awed children. A punch so fast and powerful that the air pushed out of its way made an audible noise.

"The mammoth beast flew into the mountain side with a mighty roar, echoing the rumble of the earth under it. Then it stood and studied me, and I it. The legendary beast was double the size of a rhinoceros," He held his arms up above him in a display of its size, the kids gasped, hanging onto his every word. "And ten times as strong and fast!" He cried. "It leapt at me again, but this time I was ready for it! For I never fall for the same trick twice! I pulled back my mighty fist and just as it opened its crushing jaws to swallow me whole, I thrust my fist into its massive maw and hit the back of its throat!" He threw out another arm and yelled to the sky.

"You shall not kill me, beast! For I am Leonidas, son of Sparta and the strongest demigod to ever live!" The kids, and several older campers, cheered or whistled as he brought his hands together in a gesture like he was holding something open. His voice started slow before increasing with speed and volume. "Then, with my arm down the throat of the mighty beast," He threw apart his hands quickly to the sides, making a loud ripping sound with his mouth. "I tore apart its mighty jaws with my godly might! Killing the beast!"

The entire camp burst into cheers around him, the flames of the fire growing brighter and higher as the energy of the crowd reached its peak. Leonidas took the cloak from his back and held it out in front of him. "Then, with its own indestructible claws, I cut it and turned into a cloak fit for a warrior of Sparta and took my spot among the names of the legendary heroes of Greece!" Applause engulfed the clearing, every camper on their feet and cheering, yelling or whistling.

"Thank you, thank you!" Leonidas gave a big, comical bow in several directions before raising his fists to the sky, the gauntlets disappearing in a light golden red glow. "Praise to the gods for allowing me to slay the mighty beast of legend!"

"Another story!" A young kid of only seven yelled in front of him, pushing to the front of the circle. "Tell us another story!" All of the kids in front of him began yelling their agreement.

"Yes!"

"Please?" Another cried. "Another story!"

"More stories! Cool stories with Monsters!"

Leonidas chuckled, kneeling down so that he was at more or less eye level with the kids. "You will have to ask Perseus that." He said, giving the son of Poseidon a glance. "It's getting late and I'm sure that it's nearly bedtime."

"No!" The kids yelled, turning to Percy. "Percy! Can we _please_ hear another story?"

"Yeah, another story!" Leo cried with the kids. " _Please_?"

"It's getting late-."

" _Please_?" The group of campers interrupted him, causing him to smile to himself, Annabeth nudged him in the side.

"Let them have another story," She whispered. "I can't remember the last time I've seen them this happy."

"Fine then," Percy said the crowd, looking to the little kids. " _One_ more story, but you'll have to go right to bed after-."

"Yay!" The kids, and Leo, cheered.

Percy leaned back into his seat, pulling Annabeth closer to him. She chuckled. "How's being in charge going?"

"Quiet, you." He mumbled into her hair, kissing it. "Story time."

"Well then," Leonidas smiled, chuckling as he stood back on his feet in front of the fire, looking to the crowd of campers. "What story do you want to hear?"

"A Monster story!" A small Apollo camper yelled.

"How you got so strong!" A young Ares camper cried.

"How you got your tattoos!" Pollux yelled from behind Percy.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" A girl from the Aphrodite cabin yelled out, receiving several words to sit down and be quiet from the campers around her.

"How about when you met Percy?" Leo yelled over the shouting children. "Didn't you two fight?"

The cacophonous roar of agreement caused the fire to dart higher than it had before. Clearly the campers wanted to hear that story.

"Well I don't see why not." Leonidas spread his arms wide in front of the crowd before looking to Percy. "What say you, brother?"

Percy ignored the tenseness in his gut and nodded. "Sure, why not?"

The younger campers cheered again, throwing their arms around. Leonidas let out a hearty laugh before quieting the kids down. "Alright then," He started like he did earlier, his voice low and calm. "I was deep in the Colorado mountains, rising with the sun, ready to hunt, when I was suddenly attacked by a large horde of Monsters!" He held his hands out by his head like claws, causing the kids to startle.

"Whilst I was slaying the endless number of beasts one by one with my mighty sword, from off in the distance I heard the loud cry of a young child coming from the trees." He brandished his sword and raised it in front of him, swinging it in a masterful display. "Making haste to kill the Monsters around me, I bolted off into the woods to find the source of the cry. But what I found was not a young girl in danger, by the mighty daughter of Zeus, Thalia, Lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis." Several of the campers let out more 'oohs'.

"Not knowing who the other was and what side they fought on, we did battle." He let his sword disappear and he clapped his fists above his head with so much force that Percy's ears popped. "Then the powerful daughter of Zeus struck me with a mighty lightning bolt taken from her father's domain! But I hid under my Nemean Lion cloak and was unharmed!" More campers cheered, throwing their fists in the air with Leonidas.

"But then," His voice dropped low and quiet so that the entire crowd had to lean in to hear him. "I was attacked from behind, and _that_ , is how I came face to face with my brother, the strongest opponent I have ever faced, a man so strong that I secretly feared that I was fighting a god himself, Perseus! Son the seas!" He roared the final words. The crowd cheered and the flames of the fire flew high.

"Our legendary swords clashed, a mighty sound that sent vibrations through the air and shook the very foundations of Mount Olympus itself!" He cried toward the darkened heavens. "We swung our mighty blades and did battle worthy of Achilles and the warriors of Sparta! Every strike of our mighty blows _shook the very mountain under us_!" He summoned his massive warhammer and held it above his head with a single hand high into the sky. "I summoned my mighty warhammer, the slayer of _Drakons_ and _Hydra_ alike, as he summoned his trident, a weapon of the seas powerful enough to shake the very earth itself!" He cried in his deep, boisterous voice, his free hand clenched in a fist above his head. His words turned soft and slow again, getting ready for the climax. "The battle that followed…, _not even_ the legendary poet Homer could have described it in detail." His voice got louder with each word. "The fight between the two strongest demigods to ever live shook the very heavens and the earth! The battle was legendary and was worthy to be written in the stars above them!" He cried, pointing to the constellations in the crystal clear sky above them. The crowd around them exploded with cheers and yelling, everyone on their feet.

"Wow," Annabeth whispered in his ear, nudging him in the side softly. "Sounds like _some_ fight? Is it true?"

"More or less." He whispered back.

"More or less what?"

"Less of us fighting a 'legendary battle' and more of him kicking my ass black and blue." He mumbled.

"Oh," She puffed out her cheeks in a mock pout. " _Is someone upset that he los_ t?" She laughed towards the end.

"You're ornery today, aren't you?" He whispered into her ear.

"Maybe I'm just making up for lost time." She smiled, turning back to the crowd in front of Leonidas, a kid shouting out a question.

"Who won?" He cried. "Who won the fight? You or Percy?"

"Percy of course," Leo came to his friend's defense, yelling above the voices of the kids. "Percy's _never_ lost."

Leonidas wore a massive smile, the largest Percy had ever seen on his face as he had fun laughing and cheering with the kids. Finally, after calming the crowd down he answered. "The fight had no winner." He said simply, turing to look right at Percy. "My brother and I learned that we were on the same side and stopped. Deciding to unite against the Monsters!"

"But who was _going_ to win?" A young kid from Demeter yelled out. "Who's stronger?"

Leonidas' and Percy's eyes met and locked for several seconds before Leonidas finally broke his silence and answered, still looking at Percy. "We don't know." He answered calmly. "We fought but neither of us gave it our all in the end, I know that for sure, because if we did, then the _world itself_ would feel the recoil. Only the Fates themselves know which one of us would triumph over the other." He finally tore his eyes from Percy and smiled to the crowd. "But I would love _nothing more_ than to find out. The son of Poseidon versus the son of Sparta… Might versus seas. A final fight that would shake the very earth, a battle like _nothing_ ever seen before by mortal or immortal eyes in the Tapestry of Fate or across any pantheon in history." He closed his eyes briefly, a look of peace washing over his face, his voice low, slow and calm. "... _Truly_ , a match _worthy_ to be written in the stars. A duel worthy of two legendary sons." He opened his eyes and looked to the stars above him, looking at something that no one else could see. He slowly raised his open hand to the sky and slowly closed his fist around the darkness. His voice was so low and quiet that Percy thought that he may have not meant to say it outloud. " _That_ … is my dream. To live among the stars forever."

oooOooo

 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review,**

 **they help me know you're liking the story)**

oooOooo

 **(May 4, 2011, With Jason and Piper)**

Jason and Piper were taking advantage of one of the rare instance of both of them having free schedules from War Council meetings and helping run the camp and decided to spend their afternoon quietly walking around the edges of the strawberry fields near the first lines of trees of the woods. They lazily waved to various members of the Demeter, Dionysus and Persephone cabins that were attentively tending the fields, trying their best to keep the crops from wilting and dying. Ever since the gods had fled from the world, so too did their presences and effects. Without gods like Demeter, Dionysus and Aristaeus walking the earth and maintaining the crops and vegetation, the entire world was feeling the negative ramifications. Crop production and growth were reaching dangerous lows all around the world, something that was both confusing _and_ frightening the mortal population. But only the demigods knew of the true reasons as well as the true danger, without the attention and presence of the gods, the fragile balances of the world would start to slowly erode and fade away, and, before long, the world may no longer be fit for mortals to live in.

"Ugh, my feet are _sooo_ tired," Piper complained next to Jason as they walked along the wall of trees. "Carry me?" She asked, her eyes wide for a greater 'cute effect'.

Jason chuckled, a smile on his face. "We have only been waking for five minutes, Pips." He turned his head to her, shaking it back and forth lightly. "I'm sure that you can work through the pain for another minute, we're almost there."

He saw her puff out her cheeks in mock frustration. "You're _so_ mean." She jokingly mumbled, elbowing him in the side.

"Says the girl who's physically assaulting me." Jason joked, countering by bumping his shoulder into her, almost making her lose her balance.

"That's because you _won't_ carry me." She bumped her shoulder into him but found him much harder to budge. "And look who's physically assaulting who now."

Jason smiled. "Well, I'll make it up to you later," He promised. "Besides, we're here." They were stopped in front of a small clearing where a few fallen trees had been cut and placed into a little sitting area. Couples would often come to little places like this around camp in order to get away from the other campers and enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet. With both Jason and Piper being seventeen, they weren't old enough to move out of their cabins and have their own apartment like Percy and Annabeth or Clarisse and Chris had, so they weren't able to spend as much time together alone as they wished. So when they were able to get away from the others like this, even for a short period of time, they relished the opportunity.

They ate lunch from the picnic basket Jason brought, enjoying their food in peace, talking about nothing at all, but happy that they were able to have conversations that weren't council related. Jason was sitting back against a tree with Piper leaning into his side, her head on his shoulder. In other words, he was in heaven. Jason loved nothing more than to be able to spend some alone time with his girlfriend. He let out a content sigh, breaking the previous comfortable silence that had fallen between them. Piper shifted her head slightly to be able to face him.

"What?" She asked softly, her eyes closed as she relaxed on his shoulder.

He shrugged his free shoulder as to not disrupt her. "Nothing, Pips. Just happy to be able to spend some time with my beautiful girlfriend." He answered. "It's nice."

Piper smiled, snuggling into his side more. "You charmer." She paused to kiss his cheek. "I love it too."

A smile formed on his face as well. "I'm serious," He let his head rest on top of hers. "I could stay like this forever. Just you and me, forever. It would be perfect."

She blushed, nudging him lightly in the side with her elbow. "What's with you today, babe?" She looked up to him with a smirk. "You trying to sweet talk me?"

"What if I am? Would that be _so_ bad?" He returned the smirk, removing his head from atop of hers and looking down to her. He put on an overdramatic voice, his free hand over his heart. "Oh, Piper, my love." He started, his voice smooth and overly dramatic like he was in a romantic play. "I could write sonnets about your stunning beauty. Haikus about your luscious lips. Poems about your dazzling smile. Ballads about your-"

"Alright, loverboy." She cut him off, rising up so that her lips brushed his, smiling. "I think I get the idea."

He put on a mock frown, wrapping his arms around her lightly as she straddled his legs. "But I had a few dozen verses prepared-"

She cut him off again, but this time by covering his lips with her own, not that he minded, of course. "You talk too much." She breathed out between kisses.

"You say that as if you didn't like it when I flatter you, dove." He retorted, biting her lower lip softly. Piper countered by kissing him more feverously. Jason absolutely sucked at pet names, but whenever he called her 'dove' it made her smile like a lunatic. She pretended to hate it, since it wasn't very creative since her mother's sacred animal was the dove, but she secretly loved it.

"Oh shut up," She mumbled in between breaths. "It's hard to kiss you when you're talking." He only let out a few chuckles before giving in to her wishes and going silent.

After about a slightly ravenous fifteen minute make out session and some not so innocent wandering hands, Jason heard some noise in the forest behind them, knocking him out of his stupor. He pulled away from Piper's lips, causing the daughter of Aphrodite to come to her senses, looking up to her boyfriend with a questioning look. "Jason?" She asked, breathless. "What's wrong?"

"I hear someone coming this way." He answered, listening to the trees around them. He could make out a pair of voices coming towards them, one distinctly male while the other was very obviously female. He started to move Piper off of him carefully, removing her hand from under his shirt, it wouldn't be good if other campers caught them like this. Even with Chiron gone, the camp still had strict rules about couples sneaking off and participating in 'illicit activities' as the old centaur called them. "Get off me." He said in a frantic whisper.

Piper let out a curse despite herself, quickly unstraddling her boyfriend and sitting herself a good, acceptable distance away from him, unbunching her shirt and fixing her hair. "Who is it?" She asked in a worried whisper. "Some younger campers?"

"Don't know," He admitted. "But they're coming closer.

Piper let out an annoyed sound. "Well _whoever_ they are, they picked the _worst_ time."

"We'll continue later." He promised with a suggestive smirk, peering through the bushes. The voices were getting closer and he could now recognize the female voice as someone that he absolutely did _not_ want finding them like this. "It's Drew." His eyes widened, recognizing her annoyingly screeching voice.

" _Drew_?" Piper asked, distaste sounding in her voice. "Why is _she_ here? Who's she with? One of her boyfriends of the week?"

Jason listened to the conversation as they got closer. " _Come on_ , hun," Came Drew's overly sickly sweet voice. "You know as well as I that you're _just_ playing hard to get. What, do you think that you can do better than _me_ at camp? Honey, let me tell you, _I_ am the best you'll ever meet."

"Never before has such an inaccurate sentence ever been spoken in the entire history of mankind." The low baritone, normally boisterous voice identified itself as an exasperated Leonidas.

The pair stopped just a dozen or so paces from the still hiding Jason and Piper. The son of Jupiter could make out the two clearly now. Leonidas, the man that had mysteriously shown up one day and had quickly befriended most of the camp, Jason included, with his lively personality and enthusiastic willingness to help teach the younger campers everything he knew about fighting, was dressed in his now usual exercise clothes he wore around camp at all times bar when they were under attack. An oversized pair of sneakers, black shorts and a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscular arms. And attached to said arm was a certain daughter of Aphrodite.

"What?" Drew questioned, momentarily stopping her attempts to latch onto his arm as she tried to grasp what he just said. "Are you trying to be poetic?" She let out a high pitched girly squeal. "Oh, how _charming_!"

The giant man rolled his eyes slowly, obviously tired of how oblivious this girl was. "Clearly, you don't seem to get it," He paused to unlatch her arms around his own, pulling away from her easily due to his superior strength over hers. "So let me say this clearly so that even _you_ can comprehend it." He took a step back from her, looking down at her with a slightly disgusted face. "I appreciate your kind words, truly, your determination is _commendable_ , but I'm _not_ interested. So if you would stop following me around, I can get back to hunting our dinner for tonight, as you know we have ran out of food. But you're scaring them off because you _won't stop talking_."

Piper quietly snickered beside Jason, having to hold in her laugh by covering her mouth. The motion was slight, almost unnoticeable, by Leonidas' head turned slightly in their direction, indicating that he knew they were there but said nothing about it.

Drew looked taken back for a few seconds, pulling back, covering her heart with her hand like she was insulted. "Why _that_ was uncalled for, love." She reached out for his arm again only for him to pull away. "I _shouldn't_ , but I'll forgive you _this_ time, 'kay? You can make it up to me later-."

Leonidas took a large step back, avoiding her well manicured claws, cutting her off with a slightly more stern voice, opposed to his usually overly animated one. "Look, I've _tried_ being nice…" By the tone of his voice he was clearly fed up with this girl. "But you're starting to irritate me. So read my lips; Leave. Me. _Alone_."

He turned on the spot quickly and began to walk off into the bushes, but Drew broke out of her trance and latched onto his arm again, pulling on it and causing him to face her. Once he did she put her face as close to his as she could despite the massive height difference between them. "And you _clearly_ don't recognize a good thing when you see it, hun." She countered sharply before turning her voice softer, more sensual and filled with Charmspeak. He started to pull away again, turning to leave but she spoke up. "Stop." She commanded, putting all of her charmspeaking power into her voice.

Leonidas halted midstep, his body still struggling to move despite the power she had over him. "Now hun, I want you to face me." His movements were tight, rigid and stiff as if he was putting all of his effort into not following her command. After a few seconds he turned to her, his body shaking slightly, his large fists gripped tightly by his sides, but his face, his face was the _worst_. His usual smiling and animated face was pained, his jaw set tight and his eyes filled with burning rage. If Drew noticed any of this, she didn't show it.

" _Good_ ," She purred. "Now you're starting to behave like a _good little toy_." She latched herself onto his muscular arm, pressing the curves of her body into his bare skin. "You're going to come with me back to my apartment and make it up to me-."

She was cut off suddenly by his forced, pained, slow voice, each word separated by an audible breath, every word was forced out by all of his might. "Release me… from… your _spell_!" He spat out his order like venom. He tried to pry his shaking arm from her grip but found it impossible while she was controlling him. "Release me!" He barked.

Drew's previously sweet smile turned into a devilish glare. She raised her voice, putting more power into her voice. "Quiet." She ordered, smacking his arm with her hand. "You're stronger than I thought, resisting my charmspeak like that." She admitted, her claw of a manicured finger placed to her chin in a thinking position. "But I _like_ that. More of a challenge when you can fight back."

Jason and Piper watched in awe at the display in front of them. Neither of them had been present when Drew asked out Leonidas the first few times, but they could tell that it was escalating quickly. Leonidas looked like every word of charmspeak he resisted was physically hurting him, which wasn't anything like Piper had ever seen before with people resisting charmspeak. His body was shaking so much that he looked like he was going to fall over from it.

"Should we do something?" Piper whispered in Jason's ear, not taking her eyes off of Drew and Leonidas. Drew always abused her charmspeak powers at camp, so the majority of the campers were used to her, but Leonidas' reaction was far above and beyond anything Piper had ever seen when someone tried to resist charmspeak. Never before had she ever seen someone physically in pain from resisting it. "You should do something."

"Why me?" Jason whispered back. "She's from _your_ cabin despite moving out. _Besides_ , she doesn't listen to me. We'll have to call Clarisse or Percy, they're the only ones Drew-."

"Release me, now!" Leonidas' pained baritone voice cut off their conversation. They looked back to find his eyes ablaze with fury. His jaw snapped back shut, unable to resist her words to be silent for longer than a few seconds at a time.

"Or _what_ , sweetie?" She asked in an obnoxious, insufferably sweet voice. "You gonna _scream_ at me? I'll have you screaming later in my bed-."

"Gaaah!" Leonidas roared, his low voice like a rumbling storm, seizing control of all of his will and forcefully pulling his arm away from her with such force that he fell to the side. Causing the smaller girl to fall back on her backside with an undignified squeal. "Finally, _freedom…_ " Leonidas muttered, dropping slightly and having to rest his hands on his knees. His chest was heaving like he just ran a marathon and fresh sweat could be seen dripping from his forehead.

"Why you," Drew started to bring herself to her feet, brushing off the dirt from her miniskirt. "Why you bastard!" She cried. "You barbarian! You're gonna regret that, honey!" She paused slightly to fill her voice with power before speaking again. "Now help me up and apologize-."

Drew was cut off again when Leonidas' massive hand quickly shot forward and covered her mouth, covering half of her face as well. The giant man leaned down to put his face an inch in front of hers. " _Never_ attempt to use your vile magic on me again, Aphrodite-spawn!" His voice was lower than normal and filled with bristling venom as he spat out his next words, emphasizing each one. "Try it again, and I will _cut_ your whorish silver tongue from your Siren mouth, you enchantress!" He roared louder than Jason or Piper had ever heard him, yelling with so much force that spit flew from his mouth and onto her frozen face.

" _Now_ it's time to do something." Jason said to Piper as he burst through the bushes and up to Leonidas, waving his arms to get his attention. "Hey!" He yelled to the man. "That's _enough_ , Leonidas."

Leonidas relaxed his shoulders slightly but still held his hand over Drew's face, only allowing for the smallest amount of air to reach her lungs. "Oh, it's you, son of Jupiter. I knew you were somewhere around here." Leonidas said as if he were having a normal conversation and wasn't holding another camper by her face. "I thought I heard someone, but I could have sworn it was a female. Tell me, is that other daughter of Aphrodite back there with you?"

Jason hesitated for a second, deciding to not say anything about what they were doing. "How did you know it was me?" He asked before remembering that Drew was being pinned against a tree, though he honestly wouldn't have cared if not for her safety. "And let go of Drew. I saw _everything_ that happened, she crossed a line, _several_ lines actually. I won't get you in trouble, don't worry. She brought in on herself. So it's not on you, but if you hurt her, it will be."

After internally debating for a few seconds, Leonidas removed his hand from Drew's face and took a small step back, facing Jason. "The smell of ozone." He answered simply, tapping a large finger to his nose. "The air is thick of it whenever you are around. Moreso whenever you are emotional or your body is excited." He gave the son of Jupiter a sideways glance for a second before looking back to where Jason came from and smiling, turning back to him. "You _were_ with the Aphrodite girl." He chuckled light heartedly. "Don't worry, my friend, your secret is safe with me."

He looked back to where Drew still sat in the dirt, her eyes wide with fear as they bore into Leonidas' skull. "I meant no harm to this woman, son of Jupiter." He stood in a relaxed stance, his hands in his pockets as he faced Jason again. "I would _never_ harm a woman." He shook his head as if the thought shook him. "I was just trying to get this… _seductress_ to heed my warning."

"I believe you," Jason said, and he did. Leonidas didn't seem like the type of guy who would just hurt someone, _let alone a woman_ , without reason, despite his intimidating appearance. "But you just can't threaten her-."

"She tried to control my mind and force me to sleep with her." Leonidas' low voice interrupted him, he wore a fierce look on his face. "What she tried to do is _many_ times worse than _my empty threat_."

"I get that," Jason started. "But you just can't-."

"I knew _you_ of all people wouldn't understand the danger of her bewitching voice." Leonidas cut him off sharply, shifting his eyes back and forth from Drew to where Piper was still hiding behind a bush. "You constantly have your mind molded and twisted by your own personal Siren whispering into your ear."

" _What_?" Jason said, his voice edging towards a yell. "What did you-?"

"You are being kept under control by that Aphrodite girlfriend of yours." He said calmly, as if he were discussing nothing more unusual than the weather. "It is in their nature to manipulate, influence, control and exploit men around them. They are no different than Sirens or Empousa, one day you will learn this, thank me and take control over your actions again."

"..." Jason had no words, he just stared in awe at the man in front of him. _What is this guy talking about?_ Jason thought. _I'm not under her control._

Leonidas continued a second later, taking a small step towards Jason, a kind but worried expression on his face. Like he was genuinely worried for Jason's well being. His voice dropped to a hushed whisper, the feeling of familiarity in his voice. "You are a _victim_." He said in a soft, caring voice. "Under the control of an enchantress. I have been _too_ , once, I know how hard it is to see clearly. I can help-."

Drew chose this exact second to speak up, a decision that would soon prove foolish. "Oh _bull_." She cried from her spot on the ground, climbing to her feet and straightening her clothes. "You _want_ me to control you, Leonidas sweetie, you're just-."

After letting a low growl that resembled the rumbling sky, Leonidas stepped towards Drew dangerously, a venomous glare on his face. "Speak that again, _trollop_ , and I will-."

"Trollop?" Drew asked, wide eyed just as Jason stepped in between the two, putting his hand on Leonidas' arm near one of his six tattoos.

"Whoa, man. Hang on-."

"Careful!" Leonidas pulled his arm free, inspecting his tattoo like it could have been damaged. "You don't know what you could have-."

"Let's _all_ just calm down, okay?" Piper spoke up calmly, running up to the three heated demigods, using her charmspeak to try to calm them all down. "Just take a deep breath, take a step back and-."

Leonidas spun to face Piper, his face even angrier now. "Do _not_ attempt to control me either, Siren."

Piper's face grew slightly red with anger but she maintained her cool. "I'm _not_ a Siren, Leonidas." She said, trying to keep her voice relaxed and calm him down. She moved as slowly and calmly as possible reached for his hand. " _Just_ a daughter of Aphrodite. You don't have _anything_ to worry about, I'm not going to-."

"Unhand me, you vile creature!" He yelled, pulling his arm free from her as soon as her hand made contact. He made to move closer to her but Jason got in his way.

"Hey!" Jason stepped in front of his girlfriend and glared down Leonidas, pointing a finger at him. "You take one more step and I'll-!"

"You'll _what_?" Leonidas asked in an overly calm, almost lazy voice, almost amused by Jason's anger like he didn't have anything to worry about. He took a half step closer to the son of Jupiter, taunting him. "I'd like to see you try-."

"Hey, what's going on here!?" A loud voice broke the small group out of their state. A few seconds later Percy appeared followed by Katie from Demeter, Gardenia from Persephone and Kent from Aristaeus. The son of Poseidon stepped in between Jason and Leonidas, looking to his friend to answer him. With a nod he gestured to have Katie and Gardenia help Drew to her feet. "Here I was trying to solve the problem of our dying crops with the Katie, Gardenia and Kent in the fields when I hear yelling coming from the woods. But instead of doing something productive for the camp I have to waste my time and come over here." After receiving no word from Jason he turned to Leonidas. "What happened here? Why was Drew on the ground? Why do you two look like you're gonna come to blows?"

Leonidas was silent for a few seconds before answering. "...This… _seductress_ tried to use her silver tongue to control me and force me to sleep with her."

Percy looked to Drew, his surprised face turning to disgust. "Is that true, Drew?" The girl silently nodded. Percy let out a sigh, turning back to Jason and Leonidas, moving so that he was facing both of them. "Then what happened?"

"Drew used her charmspeak to try to control him." Jason answered, not facing the large man. "He broke free from it and things got heated when I tried to calm him down."

Percy eyed his best friend, he could sense that he was hiding something from him but didn't say anything, he figured that Jason had a good reason. He turned to Piper. "And what about you, Piper?" He asked. "What happened?"

"..." Piper looked from her boyfriend and to Percy, sighing. "It's true." She admitted. "Drew tried to control his mind and Leonidas got angry when Jason tried to stop him. I… I didn't make it any better when I tried to use my charmspeak to calm him down." She paused, facing Leonidas who was still glaring at her. "I'm sorry, Leonidas. I- I shouldn't have done that, not right after you just had Drew do it to you."

"...I… accept your apology." Leonidas finally broke his silence, softening his look towards Jason and Piper. He looked to Percy. "I apologize as well, I… lost myself when that woman tried to control my mind."

"Why?" Percy asked.

Leonidas looked uncomfortable, like he was remembering something terrible from his past. "...I have had many… _unspeakable_ experiences with Monsters using charmspeak on me in the past. Whenever I am under the control of it, I lose myself and become enraged." He looked to Piper and Jason. "I am truly sorry, you two. I… I did not mean to- I should not have threatened you like that." He held out his hand to Jason.

After a few seconds Jason accepted the hand and shook it once before letting it drop. Leonidas didn't move to shake Piper's hand. "I'm sorry too," Jason said. "I added to the tension too."

"Good, you've all made up." Percy said from his spot, his hands crossed over his chest in front of him. He turned to face Drew. "Now _you_ , Drew." His voice turned more serious. "You have been warned _numerous_ timed to not use your charmspeak to control people. Because you have _refused_ to listen, you will receive clean up duty after dinner _and_ in the training fields for a month."

"What?" The girl cried. "You _can't_ do that! You're _not_ Chiron!"

"Chiron's not here!" He returned with a yell out of nowhere, his voice suddenly showing his frustrated and tired mindset. "And because he's not here the War Council is in charge. And as leader of the War Council _I_ decide the punishment of those who break the one month of clean up duty, now it's two."

"But he nearly killed me!" She pointed an accusing finger at Leonidas. "He should get chores too!"

"As far as I'm aware no one threw a punch," He eyed Leonidas and Jason. "So they haven't done anything wrong. They overreacted, and they apologized. As far as I'm concerned the matter is over."

"But-."

" _I said_ it's over." Percy said, his voice hard and tired now. "Now, Jason, Piper, I'm sorry but I need you guys to get back to the Big House, we have more work to do." He gave the pair a sympathetic look, sorry that he had to take away their free time. He looked to Katie and Gardenia. "Take Drew to the training grounds and hand her over to Clarisse or Sherman, they can take over her supervision." Next he turned to Kent."Go back to the crop fields and work with the campers about increasing the water and fertilizer along with the nature magic. Oh, and tell Amethyst to make a note to make sure we sacrifice more burnt offerings to Demeter and the like." The young boy nodded and ran off to the fields. Finally Percy turned to Leonidas. "And let's go cool off, Leonidas. I want to talk to you more about what happened. I'll have to write up an incident report like Chiron would." Under his breath he mumbled, " _Damn paperwork_."

oooOooo

 **(May 4, A few minutes later, Training grounds)**

Percy let out a long, tired sigh as he dropped himself on a wooden bench at the edge of the training grounds. Leonidas was a few paces to his left but didn't make to sit, instead deciding to wander near a large tractor tire the campers used to exercise with and in one quick motion bent low and flipped it over as if was an empty cardboard box.

"I don't feel like talking about it, brother." Leonidas muttered as he made to flip the tire again. "I'm… _agitated_ at the moment and I… try to keep to myself when I am."

Percy watched him flip the tire over two more times without showing any effort at all. Using a little more effort than necessary, Leonidas flipped over the tire again and slammed it on the ground. "It always amazes me seeing you throw around those six hundred pound **(272kg)** tractor tires like giant pillows." Percy admitted, watching Leonidas frustratedly kick the tire with his sneaker, causing the massive tire to slide across the dirt a few feet, leaving a trail of flattened dirt in its wake.

"Do we have anything heavier?" Leonidas asked, stepping away from the tire and inspecting the rough pile of tires, round stones, sandbags, logs and weights the campers used to train. Ever since the second Titan War, the camp had stepped up their training to the maximum so that they would be as physically prepared as possible. It wasn't uncommon now to see campers with six packs and giant arms and shoulders lifting weights in the early hours of the morning or running laps around the fields. Back in the old days the campers trained, sure, but that was mostly training how to fight, not pure physical exercise and strength training like they did now, Clarisse was mostly to thank for that.

Every demigod, by nature, was naturally stronger, faster and generally had more potential in terms of building muscle than the average person. But some campers took it to the next level. Take Mika for example, the daughter of Palaestra, the goddess of wrestling, she was by far the physically largest and strongest girl at camp and even then she was only outclassed in size by Leonidas alone and in strength by Leonidas and Percy with his increased strength from his Curse of Achilles along with being a son of one of the Big Three. Beating out Clarisse in terms of pure strength but losing out in terms of fighting ability, _no one_ beat Clarisse in terms of pure combat ability. Nowadays the camp more resembled a bodybuilding or crossfit camp than a normal summer camp. No weight machines or treadmills existed in camp though, since Chiron didn't allow modern technology in the camp borders, so the campers had to make due with natural and old fashioned training equipment. Such as the heavy tractor and bulldozer tires Leonidas was expecting, seemingly looking for the heaviest thing to lift and get his anger out.

"A few," Percy said, pointing to the end of the pile of tires and round atlas stones used for lifting. "But the biggest one we have is over there at the end." Leonidas made a beeline for the gargantuan tire and quickly pulled it from under the pile and rolled it to the empty dirt patch in front of them. Percy put his hand to his chin in thought. "That's been there since before I got here," He explained. "As far as I know, no one has actually used it seriously because it's too heavy-."

THUD!

The enormous tire caused dirt and dust to fly in every direction as it slammed into the earth. "Until now." Percy muttered, watching Leonidas walk up to the tire, bend low and threw his arms up, causing the tire to flip and crash into the ground again. "I get it, you exercise when you're upset."

Leonidas paused, the tire held at an angle in front of him, ready to be pushed over. "Who said I'm upset?" He asked, his voice faking calmness, before pushing the tire over, the mass of rubber rumbling the dirt after the impact.

"Maybe the eleven hundred pound **(498kg)** bulldozer tire you're throwing around like it pissed in your cereal." Percy answered, rising from his seat and making his way to Leonidas, absentmindedly moving some of the tires around as he paced. "Look, Leonidas, I'm not trying to dive into your personal life or history, but if you need help, with _anything_ , the camp is here for you. That's _why_ it exists, to _help_ demigods." He ran a hand through his hair, he was never good at this, but anyone with half a brain could see that Leonidas was upset and Percy wanted to help him. "Why did you get so upset when Drew used her charmspeak on you?" He asked.

Leonidas flipped the massive tire over again before stopping and looking to Percy. "...I just… don't feel comfortable talking about it right now." He finally said, lifting the tire again but this time rolling it over to a large boulder that stood even taller than him and leaning the tire against it. "It's personal and I'd rather not remember it."

"I get that." Percy nodded, leaning down to pick up a small weight and hold it, moving it between his hands mindlessly. Even after all this time he couldn't help but fidget. "Then you don't have to, but tell me something, why do you exercise when you're upset? You don't have to answer if you don't want to." He added as an afterthought.

Leonidas stood in a boxing stance before throwing out his arm like a sledgehammer with a missile attached to it and slamming his fist into the rubber. A wave rippled from the impact and the sound almost made Percy's ears pop. "I guess it's because of how my mother made me train as a kid." He answered before punching with his left arm, the punch equally as powerful. "My mother would leave me for hours on end as I trained behind our house. With no noise other than the birds chirping, leaves blowing and my fists hitting the pads on the trees, it made me feel at peace." He paused to reposition the tire after one of his more powerful hits caused it to fall off to the side. "Exercising was the only time I could just get away from my mother's constant babble and snidely lectures and just let my mind be free."

"Sounds nice." Percy said, dropping the weight and making his way to stand near Leonidas. "I know what you mean, whenever I go into the water it help me just relax and get away from my problems."

Leonidas let out a breath after punching the tire again. "But sometimes I just need something to hit." He admitted. "It helps get my anger out."

"I get that too," Percy agreed. "Gods know I lose my cool sometimes."

"What was your mother like?" Percy asked suddenly, then he hesitated, knowing how Leonidas didn't like talking about her in detail. "You know what, _never mind_ , forget I asked-."

"No," The large man interrupted, stopping to take a breath and lean against the large tire. "It's okay." His face was hard, like every time he talked about her or his past. Percy always tried not to pry, but something in him wanted to get to know the new man that was quickly becoming his close friend at a deeper level. "I've told you a little about her, how she never really cared for me and how she was mad, but she was more than that. More complicated."

"How do you mean?" Percy asked.

"She was methodical, OCD to the extreme." Leonidas started, crossing his coiled rebar arms in front of his chest. "She woke every morning at the same time before dawn, left the house and sat at the small gazebo at the edge of our gardens and watched the sunrise silently for a few hours, never moving or speaking. Everyday for my entire life."

"Why?"

"Because my father, before he left, promised her that he would come back to us and wait for her there at dawn." He said simply, looking up to sky at the passing clouds, his mind obviously elsewhere, remembering those times. "My mother would often tell me how he built it for her before I was born so she would have somewhere to enjoy the sunrise as she looked out over the lake. " _A labor of love"_ she would say, " _built it with his bare hands for me as a birthday gift"_."

"...It sounds like they were close." Percy said after a few seconds. "How long did your dad stay with your mom?"

"Almost two years, she said. Though he would often have to leave for extended periods of time. " _But your father always came back to me,"_ she would say. " _He will come back to us one day, don't lose hope, my son. Your father will return one day"._ " He let out a scoffing sound, looking at Percy out of the corner of his eye as he watched the sky. "She told me that _every single day_ of my life, and in twelve years he never much of sent us a sign he even remembered us."

"Sounds to me like he actually loved her though." Percy said, sitting on the dirt with a huff. "The gods don't normally stay around that long. They usually just fall in love, have a kid and leave."

"Maybe." Leonidas said, though he didn't sound very convinced. "But that love got her killed and that love never made him come to our aid. So I don't think it matters if he loved her or not." He shrugged his massive shoulders before dropping to the ground silently by Percy. "Love killed my mother. Not pure, true, untainted love, but twisted, manipulated love that turned from pure love that only a young person could feel into an obsession." He rotated his shoulder, causing it to pop several times. "My mother's love for my father deteriorated from actual love and twisted itself into an unhealthy addiction that slowly caused her to kill herself as the years past."

He faced Percy, his usually bright amber eyes dull with fog. "In my earliest memories I remember her being strong, fit, healthy, the strongest woman I have ever met, " _Because a Spartan never let's themselves grow weak"_ she would say. " _A Spartan must hold themselves to the highest standard"_ She was all those things and more when I was little, but as the years past, she got worse. The meals she would occasionally skip became more regular and she would often go for days without eating or sleeping." His jaw tightened slightly, his voice tight. "I would _beg_ her to leave that damned gazebo and eat something or sleep, but she would often not even hear me. Or if she did, she would just turn to me like she hadn't heard me talking to her for the past hour and tell me the story of how my father built the gazebo or how he built our house, or how he often offered to bring her crowns of gold and jewels or some other story about him. But _never_ once did she ever listen to me, not when she got like that."

"I don't know what to say." Percy admitted, and it was true. A lot of the demigods at camp had rough times growing up, but as he continued to learn about Leonidas' life growing up he couldn't help but feel sorry for him, not that he would say it, that happened a long time ago and him saying sorry wouldn't help any.

Leonidas let out a breath. "You asked why I got so upset when that daughter of Aphrodite used her charmspeak on me? Well, that's why I don't like it. Charmspeak and powers like that are unnatural, vile, evil. The mold, twist, contort and bend the mind of their victims to their will. Under the control of a powerful user, you are utterly helpless." Through his gritted teeth he muttered, "I will _never_ allow myself to feel helpless. Not again."

Percy hesitated, not knowing if he was supposed to hear that last part or not. "...Sounds like you have experience with charmspeak."

The giant man nodded his head, sighing. "I do." He said, and was quiet for a full minute before continuing. "A few years ago, after I my mother died and I fled our home, I heard about a large nest of Empousa in Las Vegas using their abilities to lure and drain unexpecting men of their blood. I was younger then," He said, his lip curling at the corner of his mouth like he was remembering something humorous. "Young and stupid. So full of burning hate for the Monsters I hunted ever day of my life. It blinded me, caused me to ignore my mother's wisdom and go against her training to gather all the information I need before making a move, but I disregarded that and traveled to the Las Vegas strip and attacked the nest with the intent of killing all of the Empusa as painfully as possible."

"Las Vegas strip?" Percy asked, not wanting to interrupt but curious. " _Wait_ , do you mean-."

"Yeah," He let out a low chuckle. "It was a nest posing as a strip club. Right off the strip, it lured in dozens of men a day, some would be let to escape, as to not arouse suspicion, their minds wiped with the beasts' magic, but most would be drained of their blood and either left for dead or used as food for other Monsters."

"Damn."

"Agreed." Leonidas leaned back onto the tire with his full weight, all 415 lbs **(188.2kg)** of him. "And in my foolishness I charged into the nest without a plan and without a way out. I had fought Empusa a few times in my travels before, so I thought I was prepared, _gods was I wrong._ " He chuckled darkly again. "I ended up only being able to kill three of the vile creatures before the eldest and most powerful ones used their silver tongues and managed to control my mind." A slight shiver ghosted over his skin, clearly that incident took its toll on him.

He continued, hs voice low and slow as he recalled the dark memories "...In the end, I was in there for _three_ hours before I managed to come to my senses enough to realize I was being controlled and broke free by snapping the neck of the eldest Empousa." His fists clenched tight over his chest. "I was in a fog for those three hours and don't remember what happened before I came to, _nor do I ever want to_." He let out a breath through his nostrils and looked back up to the sky. "After that it was another blur, but not like before, but like I was a passenger watching my body tear the creatures limb from limb and kill them so painfully that it bordered on torture." He held out his hand if front of him, looking at it as he closed it. "That was the first time I had ever been in a blind rage like that, I tore the walls of the building down around me and leveled half of the block before I managed to break free of my burning rage."

He looked Percy in the eye. "When I get really upset, I lose control and enter a blind rage. Destroying everything and _everyone_ around me… I- I killed a mortal woman by mistake that night," He admitted, his eyes dropping to the ground in shame. "An innocent woman who just happened to be walking with her child to their hotel after watching the water fountains. Just a woman who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." He let out a shaky breath, keeping his eyes trained on his open palms at the matching pair of tattoos of lion heads at the center of them. "It was the eyes of that child that finally made me realize what I had done. That I had _killed_ an innocent woman…"

The two young men were quiet for the next several minutes, only listening to the sounds of the birds above them and the sounds of other campers training off out of sight. Finally after letting out a breath Percy placed a careful hand on Leonidas' shoulder, getting his attention and causing the larger man to face him. "Thanks for telling me, Leonidas." He said, a soft smile on his face. "I won't try to say that I know what you've been through, but thanks for telling me."

"...I've never told anyone that before."

"It feels good, doesn't it? Getting it off your chest?" Percy removed his hand, bringing it to his lap with his other one.

"It does." Leonidas admitted.

"Then know that you can _always_ talk to me if you need to, Leonidas." Percy smiled. "I wasn't there for one of my friends when he needed me and it led him to falling down a dark path for a bit." The son of Poseidon shook his head, shaking his thoughts of the young boy who had been told that his sister died despite Percy promising to protect her. "I'll _always_ be here if you need to talk."

Leonidas gave a smile, the first genuine smile Percy had seen all day and one that he had grown accustomed to from the man's usually animated personality. "Thank you, brother." He said honestly. "You don't know what that means to hear."

"Come on then," Percy lightly smacked his arm. "That's enough depressing talk for now. You work off some more steam if you need, but I have to get back to the Big House. I swear my pile of paperwork grows when I'm not looking."

Leonidas gave a hearty chuckle, extending his arm to help Percy to his feet. "While I'm impressed that you are running this camp, I do not envy you in the slightest, brother."

"Me neither." Percy smiled, brushing the dirt from his pants.

"And remember that if you ever need to talk, that I'll be here for _you_ , brother." Leonidas gave a serious look before it softened into a smile. "You were there for me, so I will be there for you. Brothers stand by one another until the end."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 _ **Man,**_ _**how was that Leonidas stuff this chapter?**_ **I told you guys I've planned him out and want him to be the greatest character I've ever created and written. How did you like Leonidas' story of him fighting the Nemean Lion as well as his a Percy's first fight? Yes, I said** _ **first**_ **. The next and final one,** _ **oh let me tell you something**_ **, the earth will crack, the sky will shake and the ocean will rise into the heavens. To quote Leonidas, it will be "truly, a match worthy of being written in the stars. A duel worthy of two legendary sons". Guys, no spoilers, but** _ **MAN**_ **have I been dreaming about their final fight, I can see it like a movie in my head as I try to sleep, the soundtrack to the Final Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula from Avatar playing in the background. If a final fight between them wasn't obvious to you, I don't know what to say, really, I thought it was. Man I'm sooo hyped for it! Gah! I just want to get there now but we have a dozen chapters to go before we get there. Oh the agony! I'm I hyping it up a little too much, maybe, but then I'll have to rise to the challenge and make it the best I can.**

 **Anyway, how did you guys like this chapter? Did it have enough of what you wanted? It was a long one and took** _ **much**_ **longer than I thought it would to write, but I'm happy with it. Finally we're getting to know Leonidas more. I'll leave it up to you guys to decide how much of his stories you'll believe. Also, if you have any theories about him, I'd love to hear them. Send me a PM so that other people aren't spoiled by Reviews and I'll always reply.**

 **Please leave a Review, Follow and Favorite both me and this story as well. I have ideas for the next chapter, which will be different and dive us deeper into Leonidas' history and life, but that's all I'll say for now. I'll try to get it out asap but at the same time also keeping it at the highest quality I can.**

 **Until next time, have a great day,**

 **Hephaestus**


	11. Ch 5: Stories of Leonidas: Parts 1&2

Chapter 5: Stories of Leonidas: Parts 1&2

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey, everyone! I'm back with another chapter! I was worried that I wouldn't get this one out in time, it's a long one as you can tell and was hard to write. As you can see from the title this is another Leonidas chapter, but unlike the last one he won't be at camp and it'll be glimpses or stories from his life. A word of warning about this chapter though, the second story is inspired by farmer scene from the movie Logan, you know Hugh Jackman's magnum opus and his conclusion to his role as Wolverine. If you know that movie you might have some idea what to expect, but I'm going to warn you that this chapter is graphic.**

 **Next up, please vote on my Poll on my profile, it's for my next PJ Pertemis story. I'll be putting it out after my HTTYD story that will go up after this story.**

 **An important notice, guys, I WON'T be putting out a chapter next week, I'll instead be writing and putting out a Young Justice Bat Family Valentine's One-Shot. It will hopefully be out right on Valentine's day and will be mostly practice for my upcoming YJ story. Chapter 6 will come out the following week, the 23rd. Chapters will come out every weekend or so. Speaking of that, this story will be 19 chapters in total, so if I put out one a week I should be done on May 25th. I'll try to stick to this schedule and date as much as possible.**

 **Lastly don't forget to Follow and Favorite both me and this story and leave a REVIEW. They help me figure what what you guys like and what I'm doing right and wrong. Detailed, constructive Reviews are the best.**

 **That's it, guys. Enjoy the chapter. I'll see you at the bottom.**

* * *

Part 1: Returns A Spartan

 **(August 5, 1997 - A small farmhouse in Minnesota)**

Leonidas' earliest memory he could recollect was the feel of a sword in his hand. The cool kiss of the metal as the flawless blade laid on his open palm as he inspected it. The coarse texture of the worn leather on the grip in his small hand. The weight of the blade as he swung it through the air, testing what movements he had already been trained to master before he even had held a real blade. It was at the ripe old age of three that his mother had deemed him old enough to begin physical training.

Leonidas could remember every lesson that his mother ever drilled into him, the code she made him memorize and live by everyday of his life: The first, was to _always_ follow orders, as a good soldier did not hesitate, because to hesitate on the battlefield was to ask for an invitation to die. The biggest disgrace a soldier could face would be if he disobeyed orders or fled from battle. If he ever _did_ fail to follow his mother's orders, then he would receive an extra few hours of work for his insubordination and be denied food for the day. He was trained to _never_ question his mother. Her word was _law_ and she would make him into the greatest warrior in history, but _only if_ he obeyed her every command.

The second, only speak when spoken to and when necessary. It was as Plato said; " _Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."_ His mother had made him memorize that, as well as many dozen more quotes from philosophers, and would make him repeat it every time he spoke something aloud that she did not deem relevant or wise.

The third, last though the most important, _live as a Spartan_. The greatest military city and population to have ever lived. To _train_ as a Spartan, to live _every_ day as if it were his last. To put his all into every attack and make _every_ swing of his fists or blade a killing blow. From birth he had been told to memorize the Spartan oath; " _No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight and die."_ And like the Spartans before him, from a young age, Leonidas was forced to endure physical and mental training that bordered on the line of torture every single day of his life under his mother's ever watching eyes.

At the young age of five his mother gave him his first mission as a soldier: 'Track down the rogue alpha wolf in the woods that had been killing their goats and chickens and kill it'. He remembered that experience in such detail that he could write an epic that could have rivaled those of Homer before him. His mother walked him to the edge of the forest beyond their property at dawn, wordlessly handed him his _xiphos_ , a traditional Spartan short sword, his _dory_ , a seven foot **(2.1m)** Spartan spear and his _hoplon_ , his Spartan Hoplite shield passed down by each generation that rooted back to the original Spartans. Once he sheathed his sword and fitted the 30lb **(13.6kg)** shield to his already developing arm, his mother held out his helmet to him and he placed it on his head. He expected no words offering him good luck from his mother, as she was not the nurturing or caring type, she would often go days without speaking to him, so he turned and began to walk into the shadowy darkness of the woods silently. He didn't make it past the first line of trees when his mother spoke up, the first time in the two days since she told him of his mission.

"" _Come back with your shield or on it."_ " He turned to face his mother, she wore a face that portrayed no emotion or fear for his safety, only a look of expectation for him to achieve his goal. The same look he had seen on her face every day of his short life so far.

"Plutarch," He replied, the name of the man who coined the traditional phrase a Spartan mother would tell her son before he went off to war. "I shall not fail, mother."

She gave no sign whether she believed his words or not, she simply stated, "For if you do, do not return. For you will have no home to return to." With those final words his mother turned back to the house and left without a word, leaving the five year old demigod to face the beast alone.

oooOooo

It was on the third day of his hunt in the vast Minnesota wilderness that five year old Leonidas found his first real sign of the wolf he was ordered to kill. He had been taught how to start a fire, make camp, hunt for food and survive in the woods, and was expected to fend for himself as he tracked the wolf. He traveled light and fast, the only things he had were with him were the weapons and armor his mother had given him. He would have to rely solely on her teachings to survive. Just as she trained him.

It was all he needed.

The early morning late summer air was cool under the shade of the trees. A welcomed change to the months he spent in the grueling summer heat training last year. Already at the age of five, his skin was tanned and toughened by the elements. His increased strength courtesy of his father's blood had revealed itself at the end of winter when a Hellhound broke through their magical borders and invaded their house. The devilish beast with a coat as dark as an abyss crept into his room, aiming to kill the young defenseless boy in his sleep, but Leonidas awoke when his instincts warned him of the threat and without thinking about it, grabbed the snout of the beast as it lunged and tore its jaws apart, killing it without ever leaving his bed.

He would have to call upon those instincts again if he wished to be successful in his mission to kill the wolf. The young boy of five knelt beside a rabbit he had shot earlier that morning, deciding to not eat it for breakfast and instead sacrifice it to the gods in request for their blessings on his hunt. They would have more use of it than him. Just as his mother taught him.

Leonidas quickly constructed a small fire from the dry kindling he kept on his belt and soon the fire was large enough to engulf the small animal. Closing his eyes and placing his hand over his heart he whispered, "I offer this kill to you, Lady Artemis, goddess of the Hunt, though like me it is small and insufficient and unworthy, I ask that you accept it. Lady Artemis, the greatest hunter to ever live, I humbly beseech you, an unworthy mortal, that you may bless my hunt for the demon wolf so that I may prove myself to my mother as well to my father."

After drowning the fire, the boy took the ash and soot from the fire and covered his skin in it to better hide him in the shadows of the forest. Lady Artemis, it seemed, found his offering suitable and not even five minutes later he found a large wolf track embedded in the fresh mud leading into a rock outcropping. The hunt was on.

The boy stalked ever forward, for a Spartan _never_ retreated, his _dory_ held in a perfect stance in front of him as he silently trekked into the hills. The jagged rocks like piercing daggers stabbed at his bare feet, but he felt nothing. The soles of his feet had long since gone numb to the stabbing pain of rocks and sticks under them. His mother forced him to train his body to take any pain it encountered, assisted by his durable skin that thickened and hardened by the day. Already, his skin prevented blades from piercing into his bone unlike the previous year, stopped by his dense muscle fibers and hardened skin.

 **. . .**

The boy followed the wolf's trail until sunset where it finally ended before an ominous, dark cave. Without hesitation the boy moved silently into the cave, his ears trained to pick up the slightest sound. This was his initiation, for he would return to his mother a Spartan, or not at all.

He found the wolf at the end of the short cave, waiting for him in a large cavern, its nose savoring the scent of a meal to come. Unflinching and unsubmitting to fear, Leonidas raised his _dory_ as the wolf began to circle him. Claws like black steel, fur as dark as night, eyes glowing a sinister red, like jewels from the pits of _Hades_ itself. The boy eyed the darkness around him, his pupils expanded to let him see clearly in the near pitch darkness, thankful that his father's blood allowed his body to adapt quickly to his surroundings.

The giant wolf sniffed, smelling for any sign of fear in the boy, but found nothing. He stood still as stone as the wolf crept ever closer, its dagger-like fangs barred, drool dripping from its open maw. The wolf growled, Leonidas growled in return.

Suddenly the beast leaped at the boy, its piercing fangs aimed at his neck! But the boy predicted this and ducked and rolled under the attack, rising to a stand behind the wolf, his _dory_ ever pointed at his enemy.

The giant wolf jumped again, but found the head and shaft of the _dory_ embedded in his unprotected soft stomach. Letting out a bellow of pain, the wolf started to cry out to his father, Lycaon, the god of wolves, but Leonidas silenced him with his _xiphos_ before he could call to his father for help.

The boy silently cut the meat from the wolf in the darkness of the cave, burning it and offering it to Artemis for her assistance and blessing in tracking and slaying the beast. Leonidas heard a barely audible stag cry outside of the cave coming from the forest, the boy allowed himself to smile for the first time in months, taking it as sign from Lady Artemis.

 **. . .**

The boy carried and dragged the massive corpse of the wolf for two more days back home to his mother. Never resting, for a warrior never rested until the mission was over, and he had yet to return.

He arrived in the clearing his house sat in just after dawn, the body of the wolf sitting on his shoulders. He found his mother where he always found her after dawn, sitting at the small wooden gazebo near the water's edge that his father built for her many years ago. A pair of untouched tea cups(one for her and one for his father just in case he returned that day) and a loaf of freshly baked bread for them to share. She was looking off into the horizon just beyond the water's edge. Ever waiting for her lover to return to her.

Leonidas dropped the wolf's body at the steps of the gazebo, following his mother's eyes to the breaking dawn, secretly hoping that _today_ , the day he proved himself a Spartan would be the day he saw his father walking up to them from out of the morning rays.

But no one came. No one ever did and no one ever would.

Finally after standing there for several minutes waiting for her to, but knowing that she wouldn't notice him, he cleared his throat. "Mother," He dropped to a knee, a sign of respect that she drilled into him since he could stand. "I have completed my task."

Surprisingly, his mother replied, though her eyes never tore themselves from the horizon. "I see that you have." Her voice was distant, like she was on autopilot and not really present despite being right there in front of him. "Your chores have not been done for five days, see to it that they are done. I will not tolerate this sort of laziness again." She said, instead of congratulating him on his victory or taking him in her arms and being glad that he was back. But that wouldn't be his mother.

"Yes, mother." He stood, giving one more glance off to the rising sun before turning around and heading off to complete his next task.

* * *

Part 2: A Girl Named Mary

 **(June 17, 2006, Farmlands of Kansas)**

Leonidas trekked alone down a dusty dirt road. Earth, dust and debris blowing in the light wind, threatening to attack his eyes and nose. The clear, cloudless sky allowed the scorching summer sun to relentlessly beat down on him like rapids against rocks. Endless walls of wheat that seemed like they went for miles flanked him on each side of the road, the soft rubbing of the plants as they swayed in the wind being the only sounds for miles in a direction. He let his eyes wander around him, he could see no cars, no trees, no buildings, no light poles, no houses, no signs of human existence other than the dirt road he walked on and the knowledge that the crops were planted by them.

He was deep in the farmlands of Kansas, where never ending seas of wheat swept back and forth like rolling waves, an endless ocean of golden tan wheat. He let out a content sigh, he always enjoyed being as far away from human populations as much as possible, which is why he mostly frequented mountains and forests when he traveled across the country. But here in Kansas it was almost impossible for him to go around the expansive farmlands, so he prayed that he wouldn't run into too many people and made his way through them.

But it wasn't too long before his good luck(and good mood) ran out. He could see a man, most definitely a farmer, standing outside of an old beat up pickup truck. Upon a closer inspection, Leonidas could see that the man was trying in vain to push the old truck out of a ditch. After watching the man from afar for a few minutes, a woman and a small boy made their way out of the truck as well and began talking to the man. In all honesty, Leonidas _was_ considering just going on his way, they hadn't seen him and he had _no obligation whatsoever_ to help them, there was also the fact that he liked to avoid people as much as possible as he mostly found the general modern population irritating and barbaric, but after realizing that the woman had an extremely bulged stomach he knew that he could not in any way leave this family stranded miles from anything.

So he decided to help them and then be on his way.

"Need a hand?" He called out to the man as he still tried in vain to push the truck. His voice was rough from not being used recently, he didn't make it a habit to talk to himself, so it saw very little use in the last few years. The man's son, who looked to be about seven or so, was also helping push as well, but Leonidas was doubtful that he was actually helping in anyway with his small size.

The man paused from his task to look at him, tipping back his hat to help block the sun out of his eyes. A smile formed on his face under his mustache. "O'course." The man put his hand on his son's shoulder and directed him out of the way so that Leonidas could stand next to him. "We'd appreciate the help, son." He nodded over to his pregnant wife that was standing a few feet away with her son, watching Leonidas. "We was just in town for her check up an' I went an' got the tire stuck. I might 'ave to run back to my farm an' get my tractor."He said, sounding defeated, looking at the stuck tire. "I don't think the two of us can get it out."

"Let me give it a go," Leonidas said as he put his hands on the bumper, having to lean down quite a ways because of his height. "I might be able to help." He knew with all certainty that he could easily get it unstuck, with the most difficult part making sure that he hid his increased strength.

"I'd hope so, it's a _long_ walk back home." The man looked up to the cab of the car, Leonidas could now see a mess of long hair behind the steering wheel. "Try again, sweetie." A second later the wheels started to spin quickly. To Leonidas, he said, "On three, then." Before bending down to put his hands on the bumper. "One, two, THREE!" With a slight huff, Leonidas lifted the rear end of the truck out of the ditch at the same time that he pushed forward. The truck was free from its prison a second later.

"Woah woah!" The man yelled to the person in the cab. "Brake! We're free!" The truck stopped after making it a few feet. Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, the man faced Leonidas, a massive smile on his face. "Thanks _so_ much, son." He offered his hand to Leonidas which he shook after a second. "We'd be stuck if it weren't you."

"It's no problem." Leonidas shook his head. "I was happy to help."

"You're a lifesaver." The woman walked up next to her husband, smiling to Leonidas as she kept one hand on her expanded stomach. "We feared that we would be stranded until nightfall."

Leonidas didn't respond, instead inspecting the two. The man was about forty, give or take a few years -he always had trouble telling because he wasn't used to interacting with people- on the shorter side, stocky and broad shouldered with a weathered and sun tanned complexion, a sign of his profession. His wife was shorter and more plump, not including her pregnancy bump, with light chestnut curls that floated just above her shoulders. From the size of her stomach it was obvious that she was due soon.

The man looked Leonidas over, most likely taken back by the random, large, heavily muscled teenager adorned in a tan hoodie and black cargo pants despite the hot weather and a camping backpack on his back. "I don't think I've seen ya 'round here, son." The man stopped his inspection and looked up to his face. "You from the next town over?"

Leonidas shook his head. "No, just passing through."

The man looked surprised by this, looking past Leonidas down the dirt road that only went in two directions. "Are ya with your parents? Are ya staying uptown in the motel?"

Leonidas shook his head again. "No, I'm by myself."

"By yourself?" The woman asked, her eyes widening. "But the nearest town isn't for a few hours by foot."

"How old are ya?" The man asked, looking him over again. "'Cause ya don't look old enough to be travelin' alone to me."

"I'm fifteen." He answered, hoping to finish this conversation and get back to his travels, he could still make a good distance before dusk.

"Fifteen?" The woman asked, her eyes even wider. "You can't be traveling out here by yourself, you're too young."

Leonidas faked a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. I've been by myself for three years-."

"No no, that won't do, sweetie." The woman cut him off with a light shake of her head, her curls bouncing lightly from the action. "It'll be dark by the time you get to town, let us drive you to your motel at least."

As it turns out, Leonidas' next words were a mistake, quite possibly the biggest and most painful mistake of his life. "I'm not staying at a motel," He said quickly, trying to end the conversation and leave. "I'm camping out." He said, patting his pack on his back.

"Ya can't be serious." The man said, his eyes widening. "You're just a child." Leonidas didn't correct the man that he was in fact a teenager and _more_ than capable of taking care of himself. "We have coyotes out 'ere, you can't spend the night outside."

"But I-."

"You can stay with us for the night," The woman said, a smile on her face. "Paying you back for helping us out." She nudged her husband with her elbow. "Andrew can drive you into town in the morning."

"It's okay," Leonidas started to say. "I appreciate it, but it won't be necessary-."

"Think nothin' of it, sweetie." She smiled, waving him off kindly. "I'm Cheryl. This is my husband, Andrew." Andrew tipped his hat. She then gestured to the small boy a few feet behind them. "This is our son, Mason. Our daughter," She paused, looking around. "Where is she?"

"Still inside I think." Andrew said, looking up the cab of the truck, calling, "Hey, come out 'ere, sweetie, come and meet," The man faltered, realizing he didn't know the strange teenager's name. "Sorry, son, I forgot to ask your name."

"It's Leonidas." He said to the man before starting to turn to the person he heard waking up behind him. "And you are-?"

"I'm Mary," A voice said as Leonidas turned and as soon as he did, his heart stopped, his breath taken from his lungs. The girl held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Leo."

She was beautiful. She was a full head shorter than him with an athletic build, a combination of her parents. She had her mother's light chestnut curls but kept her hair longer, letting flow freely down to the small of her back. Her face was heart-shaped with large lips and beautiful crystal blue eyes. She was dressed in work boots, slightly worn fitted jeans, a flannel shirt tucked into her jeans and a cowboy hat. All in all she looked like what Leonidas assumed what a stereotypical farm girl looked like. She maintained her smile as Leonidas stared dumbly at her for a few more seconds before coming to his senses and shaking her hand.

"I, uh… It's Leonidas." He said stupidly, inwardly kicking himself for being so stupid just because he was looking at an attractive girl, not like he often met or even _saw_ attractive girls in the wilderness .

The girl smiled regardless. "Alright, _Le~o~ni~das_ ," She chuckled to herself, drawing out his name like she found it amusing. "That's a real fancy name you have there."

"Ah, there you are, Mary." Cheryl said, looking from her daughter back to Leonidas. "We're giving Leonidas here a ride back home and letting him stay the night."

If Mary was going to say something she didn't get the chance because her little brother Mason jumped into the conversation. "You're _really_ big!" The child said quickly, looking Leonidas up and down. "How big _are_ you? Are you _really_ fifteen? Because you look older than that. Where are you from? Where are you parents? How long are you gonna stay with us? What-?"

" _Alright_ , Mason." His father cut the boy off. "Let Leonidas breath, you're overwhelming him."

"No no," Leonidas said, looking to the boy. He wasn't used to being around children, or _anyone_ , really, so he had _no_ idea how to interact with the small boy. "Yes, I'm fifteen, almost sixteen this October." He plastered on a fake smile. "And I'm from Minnesota. What were your other questions?"

"Where are your parents?" The boy asked excitedly. "Are you camping with them?" He pointed to the pack on Leonidas' back.

Leonidas's smile faltered. "I'm not with my parents." He answered slowly. "My mother… passed away three years ago."

The little boy stopped instantly, his eyes widening but said nothing. His mother did so for him. "Oh, that's terrible." Cheryl put her hand over her heart. "Having to go through that at your age."

"If ya don't mind," Andrew spoke up next, a hesitant look on his face. "But where's your father?"

Leonidas shrugged. "I don't know, I never met him. He left before I was born."

"Then who's looking after you?" Andrew asked, his voice sounding almost hopeful for Leonidas.. "Relatives? A foster family?"

Leonidas shook his head. "No one. I look after myself."

Cheryl gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're homeless?" She asked him. When he nodded she nearly fell over. "Then you're _definitely_ coming with us." She declared, nodding to herself, he hair bouncing even more now.. "We'll make you all of the food you can eat and make sure you have a roof over your head tonight. There's _no telling_ when you had your last decent warm meal."

Leonidas didn't tell the woman that he had eaten freshly hunted wild turkey that very morning, it would have raised questions he didn't want to answer. After trying to get out of going home with the family for several more minutes, Leonidas finally gave in to their prodding when Mary grabbed his hand and almost forced him to get into the truck. He tried his best to say he'd ride in the bed of the truck because of the limited space, but Cheryl wouldn't hear it and a minute later he found himself crammed into the back of the small pickup at the window seat, with Mary next to him and Mason on the other side of her.

oooOooo

 **(A few hours later)**

Later that evening found Leonidas sat at a dinner table in a small, old, two story farmhouse sat beside a very energetic seven year old. A large plate was placed in front of him, as was a tall glass of water. Beyond his placemat were several dishes of food, a wicker basket of fresh chicken, a large bowl of potatoes that more resembled a cauldron than a bowl, a gravy saucer that was nearly spilling over and a fresh salad and vegetables. Needless to say after living on his own for three years and eating nothing but what he caught, Leonidas wasn't used to such a spread, and his face showed it. Mrs. Johnson happily offered him and extra helping of everything when she saw him stare wide-eyed at the food.

Leonidas watched the family as they ate, making small talk as they tried their best to not keep looking at the large stranger sat at their table. Andrew, or Mr. Johnson, the father, was sat at the head of the rectangular table, his wife sat at his right, across from where Leonidas and Mason sat. Mary sat at the end of the table across from her father. The entire time spent thinking about how to leave as quickly as possible. Leonidas didn't interact with people much, finding them unusual and primitive, but mostly annoying. But this family was different than he was used to having people be. Sure, their young son Mason was kind of annoying with his incessant questions and loud voice, but Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were kind, offering him a place to stay for the night without asking him too many questions about his personal life, which he was thankful for. Meanwhile, their daughter Mary… it was hard to describe her. She was attractive, sure, but that is not what pulled him towards her, or at least, not entirely. It was her happy, lively, free-spirited personality that made her interesting, along with her tendency to smile, giggle or roll her eyes at everything he did as if she found him amusing. He still didn't know what to think about that.

"Leonidas? Can ya hear me, Leonidas?" Mr. Johnson's voice brought him back from his thoughts. He blinked and found that the four pairs of eyes were looking at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you liked the food, sweetie." Mrs. Johnson asked from across him, her face slightly worried as it looked to his still mostly full plate. "Because if you don't, it's not a problem, I can make you something-."

"No." He interrupted her, trying his best to maintain his smile, it felt so unnatural to bend his face in such a way. "It's fine I-," He paused, looking down at his food, it just didn't seem right to eat it. "I'm just not used to… _this_ kind of food. I normally just eat what I can find-."

It seems that Mrs. Johnson misunderstood his words because her face dropped as she mumbled "you poor child" behind her hand. She promptly rose from the table, which her husband chastised her for, making her sit as he got up and got Leonidas some unbreaded chicken which he accepted with a thanks before eating. While their food was fresh, as it came directly from farms around them, Leonidas still had trouble digesting processed and packaged food after eating nothing but wild caught and harvested food for the past three years.

After dinner Mrs. Johnson set him up on the couch in the living room, making sure that he had an ample amount of blankets and pillows despite the hot weather. He sat on the old couch, it was small and worn, patches and stitches could be seen throughout and across the fabric, but it was still the first couch he had sat on in years. A lot of today's actions could be considered the firsts in many years, as he thought about it. First home-cooked meal, first meal inside, first meal with other people, first night under a roof, first time spent with other people for such a long time, it went on like that, a list so long he didn't bother continuing it. With a huff he pulled his hoodie over his head and laid the golden tan clothing near his pile of pillows, letting his bare chest enjoy the cool air from the air conditioner. Suddenly, breaking the quiet and calm atmosphere, a voice broke out.

"Woah, tattoos! Cool!" Mason's ever excited self appeared beside him, looking at the tattoos on his arms with interest. "Those are _so_ cool!"

Leonidas blinked, taken back by his actions for not the first time today. "Uh, thank you?" He said, thought it more sounded like a question than a statement.

The boy stared at the image of the warhammer on his arm. The colorless picture was highly detailed and radiated out a small amount of power that Leonidas was sure what was attracting the small boy without him knowing. "Why do you have tattoos? How many do you have? Did your parents let you get them or did you get them yourself? Why are all your tattoos weapons? I want to get tattoos too, but my mom says-."

That's _enough_ , Mason." Mr. Johnson appeared beside the boy, messing up his hair before lightly pushing him to go off in the other direction. "You're late for bed, now, up ya go."

"But _dad-_."

"No buts," Mr. Johnson said, giving Leonidas an apologetic smile. "We should let Leonidas sleep in peace. We don't know when the last time he had a roof over his head was."

Leonidas was going to answer his question and say 'three years' but Mr. Johnson spoke back up. "Goodnight, Leonidas." His smile still present. "If ya need _anything_ then our room is upstairs at the end of the hall. The bathroom is upstairs on the left if ya need it." With that the man and the boy left, leaving Leonidas alone in the small room. Laying down, Leonidas found that his feet hung over the arm of the couch and his bulky, wide body didn't fit on the couch which resulted in the right half of his body and arm hanging off the side of the small couch. He tried to get comfortable, the pillows large and soft, his head sinking into them, the blankets almost fluffy and the couch under half his body soft, but it was _too much_. With a sigh he rose from the couch, fixed the pillows and blankets, grabbed his things and made his way to their front door and left through it silently into the darkness of the night.

oooOooo

 **(The next morning)**

Mr. Johnson woke the next morning before dawn, as all farmers did, dressed and got ready for the day and with years of practice silently made his way through the house and into the living room, expecting to find his guest sleeping but found nothing but the neatly folded blankets placed on the loaned pillows. He looked for some sort of sign as to where or why the boy left, a note or something of the like, but found nothing. After a few minutes Mr. Johnson let out a defeated breath and began to leave the house to head for the barn, disheartened that the boy didn't let himself have a roof over his head for the night and left without telling them. But when he left the house and stepped out on the porch he found something that started but also at the same time made him smile.

It was Leonidas, laying on the wooden porch a few feet from the door, wrapped in a fur blanket, his eyes open and looking at him. "O'Lord!" Mr. Johnson cried, not expecting is guest to be laying outside on his porch. After covering his heart with his hand and letting out a calming breath, he apologized to the boy. "Sorry, son." He whispered, trying his best to keep quiet after most likely waking the entire house. "I didn't wake ya, did I?"

"No," Leonidas shook his head once, uncovering himself from the blanket and rising, dressed in his full set of clothes, including his strange golden tanned hoodie. "I was already awake. I never sleep past dawn."

"Me neither." Mr. Johnson said, a nod towards the just rising over the horizon sun. "Comes with the job, I guess." He eyed Leonidas as be tightly rolled up if blanket and put it in his camping bag. "You were plannin' on leaving without telling us, weren't ya?" He watched Leonidas' face, a hint of guilt washing over it.

"I-"

"Don't worry 'bout it, son." The man smiled, placing his hand on Leonidas' large shoulder. "Ya have no obligation to stay here," He reassured him. "We only offered to let ya stay because we wanted to help, you don't have to stay around and thank us if ya don't want. Go ahead an' go, I'll tell 'em ya left."

"...But it wouldn't be right if I didn't pay you back for your hospitality." Leonidas said, looking to the house. "My mother would be ashamed."

The man smiled, patting his shoulder. "Then ya can help me, until they wake up at least." He led Leonidas to their small, beaten down barn. "I remembered last night before bed that I couldn't've pulled the truck out out with the tractor even if I wanted to."

"Why not?" Leonidas asked beside the man as he pulled the large barn door open.

"Because it's missing a tire." He chuckled as the door opened, revealing the tractor with a missing tire. "My good for nothing farmhand quit last week before he was supposed to help me put it back on." He answered, sighing as he walked up to the old machine. "I've been unable ta put it on by myself, Cheryl keeps offering to help but I won't let her. Mason offers too, but he is too young, and Mary is too busy-."

"I can help." Leonidas said before he could think. "I'll help you put it on."

"Would you really?"

"Yes."

"Ya don't have to-."

"I want to." Leonidas said, walking over to the large tire laid on the floor, inspecting it.

"Have ya ever changed a tire before?" Mr. Johnson asked.

"No." Leonidas shook his head. "But I'm strong, I can hold it in place as you attach it."

Mr. Johnson smiled behind his mustache. "Let's get started then."

oooOooo

Leonidas and Mr. Johnson got the tire put on the tractor and drove it out of the barn just as Mary and Mason started their chores for the day. Mason grabbed chicken feed and headed off towards the chicken coops as Mary walked up to them, a pair of long metal handles attached to a pair of metal, shovel looking pieces sitting on her shoulder.

"What's that?" Leonidas asked, pointing to the tool.

"It's a post hole digger." She answered, greeting him with a smile. "Good morning to you too, Leonidas."

"I uh- y-yeah, sorry. I-"

Mary giggled, not at all trying to hid her making fun of his inability to form a simple sentence. She then looked to her father. "Did Leonidas help you put on the tire, daddy?"

"He sure did." Mr. Johnson smiled to Leonidas, seemingly not noticing Leonidas' awkward interaction with his daughter. "Ya should've seen him, sweetie, it was almost like he could lift the tire over his head."

"I wouldn't doubt it, look at those muscles." She jokingly nudged his bicep with her shoulder, laughing at the redness on his face. She faced her dad father again after eyeing the rising sun. "Well, I'd love to stand here forever talking, but I have a few miles of fence post holes to dig, so I'd better get started."

"Sorry 'bout that again, sweetie." Mr. Johnson said to his daughter, climbing up into the tractor. "Take it easy, y'hear? Ya pushed yourself too much the other day. I'll be along after lunch to help if I finish early in the field."

Leonidas caught her rolling her eyes from behind her long curls. "I told you, dad, I'm a big girl." She used her free hand to point to her raised arm that was holding the post digger as she flexed. "I can dig a few holes, don't worry."

"I know ya can, sweetie." Her father smiled. "But take it easy, okay?"

"I can help." Leonidas spoke suddenly, surprising even himself. "I'll help you, Mary."

"Ya don't have to do that, Leonidas." Mr. Johnson started. "Ya were going to-."

"It's the least I could do." Leonidas interrupted him. "Like I said, I need to pay you back."

"But ya don't need to-."

"Well I'll gladly take the help," Mary cut off her dad, giving him a smile before turning to Leonidas. "But I won't go easy on ya just because you're stayin' with us." She nudged him with her elbow. "Let's see if those muscles are just for show."

"..." Leonidas had no idea what to say to this.

Mr. Johnson looked at Leonidas, he was dressed in the same hoodie and black cargo pants from yesterday, if he tried to work out in the coming heat he would overheat. He looked to his daughter. "Mary, take Leonidas inside an' see if you or your mom can find him any clothes we don't need. But make sure your mom doesn't strain herself."

"Sure thing, daddy." She gave a mock salute before dropping the post hole digger and gesturing for Leonidas to follow her. "Come with me, Le~o~ni~das." She sung his name, smiling as she did, apparently still finding it funny.

Mary led him inside, giving him a short tour of their small house as she led him upstairs to her parent's room where her mother was walking out of.

"Oh, Mary sweetie, do you-." Mrs. Johnson noticed Leonidas and smile, turning her attention to him. "Leonidas! It's _so good_ to see you, sweetie. I was worried that you left without saying goodbye when I didn't see you on the couch." Her voice was angry or upset that she thought he left, more like she was sad that she didn't get to send him off.

"I was outside with Mr. Johnson." He said, deciding to not tell her that he _was_ planning on leaving without telling them. "I helped him replace the tractor tire."

"Did you really? How nice of you." She said before propping her hands on her hips. "And what did I tell you? Call us by our names, sweetie. There's no need for 'Mr.' or 'Mrs.' with us."

"..." Again Leonidas didn't know what to say, while he didn't normally interact with people, his mother _always_ taught him to treat his elders or superiors with respect. And removing the title of Mr. or Mrs. seemed like it was taking away that amount of respect to him. Luckily Mary spoke up for him.

"Leonidas here offered to help me dig fence post holes today." She said to her mother, nodding her head to her parent's room. "Dad said to find Leonidas some clothes he could have, and I figured that dad's clothes would be the only ones that fit."

Mrs. Johnson led them into her room, looking Leonidas head from toe. "We _might_ have something that will fit you, hun." She shuffled through their closet and began inspecting her husband's clothes. "You're over a foot taller and much more broad shouldered," She seemed to be mumbling to herself, digging through the closet. "Ah, here we go." She held out a large, faded plaid shirt with paint stains on it. "Andrew wore this a few years ago when he painted the kitchen. It's the biggest shirt he has."

Leonidas took the shirt from her hand, eyeing it carefully. "I appreciate it, but I can't accept-."

"Nonsense, sweetie." She waved her hand, brushing away his worries. "Andrew hasn't worn it in years and you'd make more use of it then him. Go ahead and try it on." So Leonidas did, after giving a slight shrug to himself he pulled the golden tanned hoodie over his head, revealing a weathered and torn black, long-sleeved undershirt before pulling that too over his head. Revealing his bare, muscular chest and stomach to the two woman in the room. '

Mary's eyes widened, threatening to pop out of their sockets as she bit her lip and covered her mouth. " _Sweet Jesus_." She mumbled out before turning bright red and facing the other way. Her mother noticed her blushing face and spoke to Leonidas, she too turning the other way to give the young man some privacy.

"A word of advice, Leonidas. Try to _not_ undress yourself in front of a lady."

Leonidas paused, the shirt over his shoulders but not yet buttoned. He looked down to his body, a confused look on his face. "But all of the important parts are covered." He muttered, not understanding why the two women were turned the other way. "Has Mary never seen a man without a shirt on before?"

"Not one like _you-_." Mary's eyes widened even more as she covered her mouth, trying to understand _why_ she just said that aloud. From besides her, her mom was holding back a giggle as she nudged her with her elbow.

" _Someone's_ _blushing!_ " She said in a hushed stage whisper, prodding her daughter with her elbow.

" _Shut up!_ "

"It's _so cute_!"

"I said _shut up_ , mom!"

Leonidas was oblivious to all of this, though, as he buttoned up the shirt, his large fingers making it somewhat difficult. In short the shirt wasn't comfortable, his stomach and chest were being compressed and his belly button was exposed, but worst of all were his arms, he couldn't move them because the sleeves were too tight and they were stuck held out to his sides.

"I don't think this shirt fits."

Mrs. Johnson turned back to Leonidas and as soon as she did she had to cover her more to stop herself from laughing, he looked ridiculous. "Yes," She chuckled. "I'd have to agree. Here, let me give you a hand, dear."

Mrs. Johnson ended up removing the sleeves from the shirt in order to let Leonidas move his arms. She also had him unbutton the top few buttons in order to let him breath. All in all, he ended up looking like a really buff farmer dressed in the sleeveless striped plaid shirt. In the end they didn't have any pants large enough nor any other shirts large enough to fit him so Cheryl decided to patch up his tattered undershirt as he was working outside with her daughter. After thanking her once again, Leonidas followed Mary out to the fenceline to start work on digging new fencepost holes.

oooOooo

 **(Later)**

Mary drove himself and their tools on one of their ATVs out to where the new fence line was going to be. After a rather embarrassing interaction with Leonidas having to hold onto the smaller girl in order to not fall off the vehicle, the two finally made it to their destination. After taking some time to explain what they were doing and showing him the proper method of using the various tools like a post digger, manual post driver or hand held auger, the chestnut haired girl asked which tool he wanted to use. He chose the manual post driver, which if you've never seen one, is essentially a large, hollow metal tube used for slamming the tops of fence posts to drive them in the ground. Mary assumed he chose that specific tool because he seemed like the kind of guy that liked to bash things with something heavy, he sure looked like it.

After letting Leonidas go off and start working, it took Mary about thirty seconds to lose focus on what she was supposed to be doing and instead watched Leonidas drive the posts into the ground. Hear her out, okay, Leonidas was a tall, large, nice, and _very muscular_ guy in a sleeveless shirt with all of the buttons unbuttoned to allow him freedom of movement. Don't look at her like that, it's not _her_ fault her house guest/helper was attractive on top of being kind and funny. Blame her sixteen year old hormones. But in her defense, he was just so interesting to watch, not just because he was cute, okay, but because he made everything he did look effortless. He was driving the posts into the ground with a single slam of the tool that usually took other people over a dozen on a good day. The earth below them was a hard rocky clay, not the easiest kind of dirt to dig into, but he somehow made it look easy. As it turned out, her staring didn't go unnoticed, Leonidas stopped his work to face her with a questioning look.

"Mary?" He asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Eep!" She nearly jumped out of her skin. After holding her heart she calmed herself down and told him that she was just thinking. Luckily he seemed to believe this and went back to working. After chiding herself for letting some boy mess with her head so much she started to work too, making small talk with Leonidas and getting to know the strange, slightly younger boy better.

They worked for the next several hours until lunch, stopping every hour or so to take a short break under the shade of a tree. In that time Leonidas learned a lot about Mary, she had just turned sixteen, so she was a few months older than him, she was as artistic as she was bubbly, spending most of her limited free time drawing, painting or just laying on the grass and watching the clouds roll by. Leonidas had never just observed the clouds just to watch them, instead looking to them to predict the weather or looking past them to the sun to determine the time of day. He never just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed himself. She told him about herself and her family, how her father had lost his last farmhand after he quit because they didn't have any money to pay him. She told him that her parents didn't seem to realize that she knew what was going on, like her younger brother, since they never told her about their problems but she knew that they didn't have the money to hire anyone else and were really behind this year. That didn't include the poor condition of their house and land, her father was trying his best to get the house fixed up before the baby came but just didn't have enough time in the day to get it all done. So Mary had stepped up ever since school got out at the beginning of summer and started to do more and more work to be able to help her parents as much as she could.

They talked briefly about his mother, Leonidas telling Mary about her, about him having to take care of her more and more as the years went on closer to her death. How he would have to make sure there was enough food, water taken from the well, the animals fed and looked after as well as maintain the house. Mary let out a harsh laugh as she leaned against the truck of the tree, saying that they were too young to have to be acting like grown ups. Leonidas didn't say anything, but he silently agreed, deciding to help this family out for a few more days.

It was later that night at dinner when Leonidas told the Johnsons about his decision to stay with them for a few more days, not telling them of the true reasons of him wanting to help pay them back and remove some of the weight from their shoulders. As expected they were more than ecstatic, with Mrs. Johnson promising to bake him a cake the next day to celebrate.

Leonidas rose the next day before dawn and helped Mr. Johnson with his chores until Mary woke up and he left to the fence line to help her again that day. They worked and talked until dinnertime, Leonidas' jaw sore from using it so much, he had never talked so much in his entire life. Later that night at dinner, in which Mrs. Johnson presented him with a small cake and his fixed up shirt and pants, Leonidas told them that he'd like to stay with them a few more days if it was okay with them. They quickly agreed every time, telling him that he was welcome to stay as long as he liked. Mary was glad he was staying too, the two of them having become fast friends, spending most, if not almost all of their days working and talking with each other.

oooOooo

After a few days Leonidas stopped asking them if he could stay the next day and soon it became normal for Leonidas to be living with them. The days quickly turned into a week, and the week turned into two and then into three and a half, which brought Leonidas to where he was now, standing in the old storeroom that had been converted into his own room two weeks ago, sifting through the new clothes that Mrs. Johnson bought for him last week when she took him into town to get clothes and a few personal belongings. Leonidas couldn't express how grateful he was to the Johnsons for taking him in, feeding him, clothing him, but most importantly treating him as one of their own. He no longer inwardly cringed or got upset whenever Mr. or Mrs. Johnson called him 'son' or 'sweetie', instead now reveling in the feeling of the closest people he's ever had as real parental figures treating him with such love. His mother, for everything she taught him and how great of a warrior she made him, never once so much as told him she loved him. He didn't even know _if she did_ , in all honesty. So to have the Johnsons act like the parents he never had, made him see the world in a new, brighter light.

Leonidas shook his head, knocking those thoughts from his mind for the time being. Today was Sunday, in other words, his only day off. Mr. Johnson told him that Sunday was the Lord's day and wasn't meant for work. They offered to take Leonidas with them to church each Sunday, but he politely refused, saying he wouldn't be comfortable, despite him honesty just not wanting to interact with other people. They didn't push it and respected his wishes and let him stay at their home while they were gone. He spent those hours each Sunday either sitting on the back deck or under the tree he and Mary often sat under when they talked and participated in a new hobby Mary got him in to, whittling. He wasn't very good at it at first, his large and bulky fingers found it difficult to precisely use the knife to cut and shape the finer details, but he found the practice relaxing and would often spend hours at a time working on a single piece.

But back to the matter at hand, Leonidas was stood in front of his makeshift bed Mr. Johnson made for him out of old two by fours and insulation panels under an old mattress. It wasn't the prettiest, most expensive or most comfortable bed in the world, but it was his and that was all that mattered to him. On top of the bed were the few clothes that managed to fit him, laying out before him. He was trying to find the swinging trunks Mrs. Johnson bought for him, who would have thought it would be hard to find a specific piece of clothing when he only owned a handful of clothes? After finding the large, solid black swimming trunks, an extra shirt and throwing his boots on, he headed into the living room to wait for Mary to come down. She was going to take him to the lake for a swim, something that she had been wanting to do for the last two weeks but when they decided to do it last week it had to rain and ruin their opportunity. But today the weather was perfect, the sun was high in the sky, the few clouds drifting in the light breeze helped keep the temperature down.

They drove to the lake on their property on her ATV, Leonidas still turning red in the face when he had to wrap his arms around her middle to hang on. Mary didn't let him see it, but her face turned red too. After arriving they set up some towels on the grass near the water and placed down their picnic basket, it was Mary's idea to have a picnic lunch by themselves after they swam. Leonidas was all ready to jump into the water until Mary removed her large t-shirt, revealing her swimsuit. It was modest as far as bikinis went, or at least it was as far as Leonidas was concerned, since he didn't frequent the beach or pools enough to have any solid idea what girls and women wore while swimming. But he knew one thing, she was even more beautiful than he first thought.

Mary noticed him watching her and smirked, raising her brow at him and placing a hand on her pushed out hip. "You gonna keep staring at me or are you gonna get in the water?"

Leonidas' heart stopped as his eyes widened to the sizes of saucers. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-."

He cut off when he heard her chuckling behind her hand, ending in a sigh. "You're _so_ easy to mess with, Leo." She often called him 'Leo' nowadays, despite him telling everyone to call him by his full name. But he really didn't mind it when _she_ called him that, not that he had ever told _her_ that, of course, but there was something about the way _she_ said his name that made it okay. She lightly tossed her shoes in his direction to get his attention. "At least we know that you like the color red." She smirked, gesturing with her eyes down to her cherry red bikini.

Leonidas's face flushed, trying to come up with some kind of defense. "I wasn't looking at your-."

"Pfft. You may be a gentleman, Leo, but a liar you are not." She snorted, still smiling at him, waking slowly to the water, swaying her hips in the small swimsuit more than necessary. "Let's _say_ I believe that, Leo. I wouldn't mind anyway, I don't care how you look at me."

Leonidas blinked. "...You don't?"

She paused just as she reached the water's edge, turning to look over her shoulder at him, smirking. "Of course not, I steal looks at you whenever I can when you're working without a shirt on." With that she ran into the water and jumped in when the water was deep enough. Her head and shoulders broke out of the water a few seconds later and a few feet further away. "Come on in, Leo!" She called out loudly, not caring to keep her voice down because they were on their property and were the only people around for miles in every direction. "Show off those muscles!" She cheered and whistled like a crazy woman when he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular chest and stomach to her. He fought past the blushes and the butterflies in his stomach as he ran after her into the water and leaped with a loud yell and cannonballed into the water next to her, splashing Mary and causing the waves to push her back slightly.

"Leo!" She shrieked in between giggles, blocking the water from hitting her face. "Watch it, you big oaf!"

His head surfaced and he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "Sorry, Mary-. Ahh!" He yelled, receiving a big splash of water in the face from her. "Why you _little-_." He swam through the water after her as she laughed at his attempts to move through the water with his bulky body.

"You'll _never_ catch me, Leo!" She cried, swimming out of his reach and sending a wave of water at his face. "You're to~o slo~ow!" She sung out the words sounding like a teasing childish insult.

"Says you!" He called back, tearing through the water chasing after her. "I'll get you sooner or later!"

"Ha! In your dreams, prettyboy!" She laughed, dodging and diving out of his reach and resurfacing a dozen feet behind him and shooting a water gun at the back of his head. "You missed again!"

" _Hey_ , that's not fair!" He yelled, blocking the water stream from hitting his eyes. "I don't have one of those! Where did you even get that from, anyway? I didn't see it."

She smirked as she refilled the gun with water, the very smirk that Leonidas recently found was dangerous for his heart because the smirk caused it to flutter everytime she wore it. "Maybe if you spent _less time_ staring at my ass you would've seen it in _my hand_." She let out a hearty laugh. "Not that I minded, really. It's flattering." She said softly, causing Leonidas to blush again which only made her giggle at his face again.

He darted for her again, causing her to let out a high laughing shriek as she swam through the water to avoid him. She stopped and looked back at him only to find him gone, most likely under the water getting ready to try a sneak attack. But she was too smart for that. "Nice try, Leo, but you'll have to do better than tha- ahhh!" Leonidas tore up from out of the water, grabbing her around the stomach from behind and threw her behind his head up into the air a few feet, causing her to shriek like crazy until she landed with a large splash.

A second later she fell back into the water and found Leonidas in front of her with a smug look on his face once she emerged from the water. " _Told_ you I'd catch you, Mary."

Mary blew some of her wet curls out of her eyes, giving him a fierce glare before breaking out into a fit of laughter, Leonidas following her after a second. "I _hate_ to admit it, muscles, but you caught me."

"Of course I did," He swam closer, his chest heaving from the sudden burst of energy. "I'd never let you get away from me."

Mary's laughing smile turned into a smirk, her brow rising dangerously, her voice low. "Are you trying to _flirt_ with me, Leo?"

Leonidas' red turned bright red and his eyes widened so much that Mary thought that they might pop from his head. "I-I wasn't-, I mean, that's not what I-." Again her crystalline laughter broke him off.

"It's _so_ easy to mess with you, Leo." She swam up to him, not stopping until their noses were almost touching. "I'm just messing with you, Leo. You know that, right?" Her voice was softer, less boisterous(which he found his own voice copying the longer they spent together) and calmer than he was normally used to hearing. She watched him look at her silently, a smile on her face as he tried to decipher his feelings. Suddenly, she spoke up, breaking the silence.

"It's because I like you." She said suddenly before hints of red began to tint her face. "It's _fun_ to mess with you, Leo." She said, her voice almost a whisper.

"Why?"

"Because you're so cute when you blush." She bit her bottom lip, seemingly weighing her next words. "...It's nice seeing that tough exterior of yours break every once in awhile."

"..."

"I'll be honest," She whispered, blushing wildly as she floated still next to him, brushing her wet hair out of her face. "I've had a crush on you for awhile. But I've been too scared to say something."

Leonidas' heart nearly stopped as he looked into her eyes, his own eyes wide. "Why's that?" He asked softly. "Why were you scared? Did you think I would get upset?"

She shook her head softly. "No, nothing like that. I… I was worried to tell you because even if I did and even if… _something_ came from it," She looked right into his amber eyes, her own orbs shaking. "You'd leave me sooner or later."

His heart fully stopped this time, looking into the eyes of his first and only crush, as she tried in vain to keep her smile from dropping. "I _know_ you're only staying to help us out around the farm," She continued, removing her eyes from his and looking into the water. "So what'll happen when you have no more fence posts to dig, or tractor tires to replace, or roof shingles to repair, or-." He cut off her rambling by removing the distance between them and taking her lips in his own.

The sensation was like nothing he had ever experienced. He could taste a hint of her lip gloss mixed with the water from the lake on her lips. The action was quick, fleeting, but he could have memorized the feel of her lips if he had been concentrating.

Suddenly he tore his lips away and stumbled back, realizing what he had done. She had told him that she liked him, but that _wasn't permission_ for him to kiss her without asking! What was he thinking? "I'm _so_ sorry, Mary!" He apologized quickly, pulling away from her. "I don't-."

"Why did you do that?" Her voice was soft, the softest he had ever heard it. He looked to her, she was looking at him with her large eyes, her fingers placed on her lips like she couldn't believe that he had just done that. She blinked and asked again, her voice still low. "Leo, why?"

He gulped, awaiting the inevitable fallout. "...Because I didn't want to see you cry." His words even surprised him, Mary gazed silently at him, her fingers still touching her lips. "I- I _was_ just staying to help in the beginning, I admit. But the _real reason_ why I've been staying was because of _you_."

Her eyes widened but she didn't say anything. "It's because I- I like _you too_ , Mary." He admitted, averting his eyes from her. "I'm sorry that I kissed you like that, I shouldn't-." He was cut off when she pressed her lips to his this time, kissing him deeply.

After a few seconds she pulled back to breath, smiling at his awestruck face. "You talk too much, Leo." She closed the distance again, this time deciding to just press her body into his and place her forehead against his, their noses touching. "Don't apologize, I _loved_ the kiss."

He couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "I'm glad." He mumbled softly, a chuckle on his lips. "Because if you didn't I'd be _screwed_."

She chuckled briefly before turning more somber, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Were you serious that you were staying because of me?"

"Of course, I _never_ lie to you."

She smiled, showing her perfect teeth. "You don't know what that means to me, Leo."

"Your parents asked if I wanted to stay last night after you and Mason went to bed." He said suddenly, his voice showing his worry. "With your family, _forever_."

Breath left Mary's lungs, she put her hand over her heart. "They asked if you wanted to _live_ with us? Like _adopt you?_ "

He nodded. "Yes."

A gasp left her lips before she smiled to him. "This is _great_!" She cried, hugging him tightly. "We can be together forever now!" Her smile faltered however, when she saw his darkened face. "Leo? What's wrong?" She asked. "Aren't you happy that they asked if you wanted to live with us? I thought you'd love it."

"I do." He said quickly to reassure her. "But… but there are… _things_ I wanted to do in my life, places I want to go and things I want to accomplish." His voice was soft and low, so much so that Mary found it difficult to understand him. "I- I _never_ planned meet you or stay here. I… I was planning on heading to the east coast. I-."

"You can _still_ do those things, Leo." She interrupted him. "But now _we_ can do them _together_. You have dreams and they didn't include me before we met, I get that, I really do, but that doesn't mean that you can't do them anymore." She cupped his face with her hand. "I'm not trying to say that I think that we'll always be together, god, we haven't even _started_ dating yet, but I'd _love_ to leave the farm when I'm old enough, move to the city and become an artist. We can _still_ go and live our dreams together."

Leonidas' plastered smile faltered, he let out a breath through his nose and tore his eyes from her again. "I- I'd _love_ that, Mary," He started with a whisper. "But you _don't_ know me. You don't know what I've _done_ , the person I've _been_ before meeting you-."

"If he's anything like the Leonidas I've met and fallen for the past three and a half weeks then I'd say I'd take my chances." She moved his head to face her again, she gave him a reassuring smile. "I _don't_ care who you _were_ or what you've done in the _past_ , Leo." She used her free hand to poke him in the chest with her finger. "Everything I need to know about you I already know. You're a hard worker, a machine when it comes to working, clumsy and awkward when you're embarrassed, you don't care for watching tv and would rather read a good book, you're kind, the kindest guy I've ever met and not to mention the _sweetest_ too."

"I know _everything_ I need to know about you." She said with a tone of finality, like the matter was settled. "So _what_ if you were a different person, Leo? You've been living by yourself with no one to care for you for _three_ years. But stay with us, _with me_ , my parents love you like you're one of us, you know that, right?" He nodded. "Then they wouldn't care who you were or what you've done, and neither should _you_. You're clearly a different person now. Stay with us, you can become a member of our family _for real_ , you can go to school with me in the fall." She smiled to him before placing her head on his chest. "I know you've never been to school but you're smart, maybe the smartest person I've ever met. They'll _have_ to let you in."

"Then after school we can move away from the farm if you want, go to college and you can fulfill whatever dreams you want as I fulfill mine and become an artist." She gripped his hand, her voice slightly shaking. "We don't have to do it together if you don't want, of course, but I'd love to-."

"I'd love to, too." He spoke up, surprising her. She looked up to him and smiled.

"You mean that, Leo?"

"Of course." He returned the smile. "I said I wouldn't lie to you."

"Then are you going to stay with us then, forever? What did you tell my parents?"

"I told them that I would think about it and let them know when I've decided." He answered her truthfully. "I can tell them tonight at dinner-."

"Tell them tomorrow night." She interrupted him.

"Why?"

"Because tomorrow's the one month anniversary of you living with us." She told him. "Mom was gonna throw you a surprise party with cake and everything."

"And why did you tell me if it was supposed to be a surprise?" He asked with a smile.

"Because I know you _hate_ surprises."

"That I do." He hugged her tightly, enjoying the moment for as long as it could last. "Then it's settled, I'll tell them tomorrow."

oooOooo

 **(That night at dinner)**

Leonidas and Mary ate their meals in silence, in their seats next to each other after changing the seating arrangements the first week Leonidas stayed with them. The both of them trying their best to not keep sneaking glances at the other but failing miserably at it. Mary's mother, Cheryl, seemed to notice this and broke the comfortable silence.

"So, did you two have fun at the lake today?" She asked like she was just making conversation but Mary knew better. "Anything _eventful_ happen?"

Leonidas nearly choked on his food, Mary patted his back and her mother only chuckled under her breath at the two teenagers. She knew that Leonidas and her daughter had feelings for each other, it was _painfully_ obvious that there was a spark between them as soon as they met. The two spent nearly every waking moment together, whether it be doing chores, reading, cooking in the kitchen or just relaxing around the house or in the yard. Leonidas had even surprised Mary by fixing the old tire swing she used to play on as a child a week or so ago. Cheryl didn't tell the kids this, but she had watched them from the window a few times. While she trusted Leonidas and knew he was a kind, honest boy, he was still a teenage boy living with her daughter, so so liked to keep an eye on them from time to time. Which resulted in her seeing her daughter kiss him on the cheek as thanks after he fixed the swing. The young man blushed so red he resembled a tomato. Cheryl found it so sweet and heartwarming that she left the two alone from then on. She thought her daughter _may_ have had ulterior motives when she invited Leonidas to the lake with her, so that's why Cheryl didn't allow her young son to go with them when he asked, to which the boy didn't take well because she wouldn't tell him why. So Cheryl could tell that _something_ had happened between them, they smiled and blushed a lot before, but not like this. Clearly they had told the other about their feelings.

"So, Leonidas." She turned to the large young man after he managed to stop choking on his food. "Have you thought about what we talked about yesterday?" She asked, making sure to not reveal too much in front of her children in case the boy decided to leave. _Not_ that she believed he would, of course.

The young man hesitated for a few seconds, sending a not so discreet look to Mary before looking back to her. "...Some." He eventually said. "I think I may need another few days to make a final decision, though."

"Well, I'm sure that you'll find your answer soon, my dear." She smiled into her glass of water.

"What are you talking about?" Mason asked, he looked to Leonidas. "What decision?"

"Nothing important." Cheryl waved her son off. "Just something he's helping us with."

The small boy didn't seem keen to end the conversation there, however. "What is he-?" The boy stopped when all of the lights in the house cut off at once. From the spot next to her, Cheryl could hear her husband let out a growl under his breath.

"Damn Bakers." He muttered with distaste.

"Andrew, _language_." She chided her husband.

"Sorry, honey." The man rose from the table and felt his way to the kitchen and after ruffling through a few draws found a candle and match and lit it. He placed the large candle in the center of the table and began to light more.

"What's going on?" Mason asked, looking around in the darkness. "Why is the power out again? I thought it stopped last year?"

His father tensed as he looked to his wife briefly, something that Leonidas couldn't help but notice. "Just must be faulty wires, son. Don't worry, I'll head down to the station and see if I can turn it back on."

" _Andrew_ ," His wife said sharply before realizing her tone caused the children to look at her. She forced her voice to appear calmer. "Let's talk in the other room, okay?" She then turned to her children and Leonidas and put on a fake smile. "You kids just continue eating, 'kay? I have to talk to my husband for a second."

Without preamble the two adults left the room, hushed whispers following them. Leonidas looked to Mason, the young boy not thinking anything was going on and was having fun holding his food over the candles. But Mary on the other hand, was looking worried. He leaned in close to her, keeping his voice as low as possible so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"What's going on?" He whispered softly. "What's wrong?"

Mary but her bottom lip, looking to where her parents left and back to Leonidas. "Last summer the Baker boys, all eight of them, started to turn off our power because their dad owns the station. Thought it was funny, y'know? Each time dad would have to go down there and ask them to turn our power back on."

"Did they?"

"At first." She answered. "But soon they started to ask for money to turn it back on… and when my dad didn't pay they beat him up."

"Really?"

She nodded, looking to her brother that was none the wiser about the conversation going on around him. "They nearly broke his leg last time. Daddy tried to tell the sheriff, but the new one is a friend of their fathers and wouldn't do anything."

"So what do you think he is going to do?"

" _Hopefully_ he'll do nothing and wait for them to get bored and turn the power back on."

"What do you think he'll _actually_ do?"

"Probably go down there and make it worse." She said honesty, fear in her voice. "My parents don't think I know, but I do. Whenever I try to bring it up they would brush it off. They stopped last summer and hadn't done it since, I hoped they were stopping for good."

Leonidas tore his eyes from Mary and looked to where Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were talking in hushed whispers in the entryway before turning back to Mary. "So you think that they'll hurt your dad if he goes down there?"

"I _know_ they will."

"Then _I'll_ go with him." He rose from his seat suddenly, the feet of the chair sliding on the floor. "I'll make sure he's okay."

Mary's eyes widened in the darkness, reaching out to grab his hand and stop him from leaving. "No, you _can't!_ " She let out a hushed whisper, Mason heard this strange confrontation and looked to the two. "You'll get hurt!"

"What-?" Mason started but got cut off by Leonidas.

"I'll be okay, Mary." He reassured her, placing his large hand on her cheek. His face looked pained, as if he were remembering something he'd rather forget. "...You remember what I told you at the lake?" She stilled instantly, looking to him. He continued. "About being a different person before we met? Well," He eyed Mason, making sure to not say anything in front of the boy. If only it were just her and him, then he could tell her _everything_. "I used to do stuff like this." He said simply.

"That doesn't matter!" She gripped his hand tightly with all of her might. "There are _eight_ of them and only _one_ of you!" She threw all caution about hiding it from her brother and continued louder. " _They can kill you, Leo!_ "

"They _can't_ hurt me." He put his other hand over hers. "I'm almost indestructible-."

"What?"

"-I'll tell you when we get back, I promise." He leaned down to kiss the top if her head. "I'll tell you _everything_ about me, _who_ I am, _what_ I've done and what I _want_ to be." He pulled his head back and brushed the hair out of her face. "I told you I'd _never_ lie to you, so no more secrets, I'll tell you when we get back. I promise."

Her lip quivered as she bit them. "You make sure you _keep_ that promise, Leo." She poked him in the chest. "And keep my dad safe."

"You have my word, Mary. I love you." With that he left the table and headed to the coat rack and grabbing his golden tanned hoodie and looking back at her, patting the clothing like it was going to make all of the difference. "I'll see you soon, love."

Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hand. She couldn't say anything as Leonidas walked up to her parents and started talking to them.

Leonidas walked up to the couple just as Mrs. Johnson was in her husband's face, an angry look on her own. When she noticed Leonidas she pulled back and put on her usual smile, though Leonidas could tell from seeing it so over over the last month that it was fake. "Oh, Leonidas. Do you need something, sweetie?"

Leonidas shook his head to the woman before facing her hunsband, squaring his shoulders as he put his hoodie on. "I'm coming with you."

The man forced his smile to remain on his face. "There's no need for that, son. I'm sure I can handle flippin' a few switches by myself. You just finish up your dinner-."

"I _know_ what going on." Leonidas said simply, looking at the two with a look finality on his face. "I'm going with you."

"Know _what_?" Mr. Johnson tried to feign not knowing what he was talking about. "There's _nothing_ goin' on, my boy-."

"Then why do you have a wrench and a rifle?" He asked, eyeing the weapon he was trying to hide behind his back and the large wrench tucked into his belt. The Johnsons flinched at this and their smiles completely dropped. Leonidas took a half step closer and dropped his voice low. "If you go down there by yourself you can get hurt, or _worse_. I can see it in your eyes." Leonidas spoke slowly, rolling his large shoulders slowly and popping his neck. "You're scared. But with me…, you'll have _nothing_ to worry about."

Mr. Johnson looked up to the towering teenager in front of him. Only now realizing how large and intimidating the boy could be. He had come to know Leonidas as one of the most gentle people he had ever met despite his large size, but standing there in front of him in the dark, the light of the candles shining an ethereal glow on his strange, almost shimmering hoodie and all black shirt and pants and standing at almost six and half feet with shoulders as wide as a door frame and arms the size of his head, Mr. Johnson felt relieved to have someone like Leonidas come with him.

"Okay," He said after a few second, looking up to he boy. "You can come, but if you _really_ know what's going on, then you'll know that it could be dangerous."

"That's _why_ I'm going with you."

"You can't be serious!" Mrs. Johnson looked to her husband, shock clearly written on her face. "The boy could get hurt."

"I don't hurt easily, Mrs. Johnson." He told her calmly. "Trust me, I've faced worse after living by myself for three years. I'll be alright. And I'll keep your husband safe."

oooOooo

 **(Later that night at the powerplant)**

"Just keep your eyes and ears open, son." Mr. Johnson said as they got out oh his pickup, his rifle slung over his back as they walked up to the chained gate. "And take this, son." He handed him the large wrench. "I'd feel better if you had something to protect yourself with."

"I appreciate the thought, but I think I'll be okay."

Mr. Johnson then cut the padlock on the gate and opened it, gesturing for Leonidas to follow. "Come on, let's get this turned on before they know what happening."

The walked up to the large switches and with what had to have been many months of practice, Mr. Johnson flipped several switches and pressed a button without even blinking. The action almost robotic. "Now, let's get out of 'ere, son. Before they-."

"Why Mr. Johnson, fancy seeing you here. You're aware that this is private property, right?" A loud voice cut him off. Leonidas turned to the voice, already knowing that they were there but not being able to act because it would have been suspicious because he heard them from so far away. Silently he made his way forward and stepped next to Mr. Johnson protectively.

"Oh, who's this?" The man asked, having to be one of what Mary called the Baker brothers. From the looks of it he seemed to be the leader and was armed with a shotgun. Two of his seven brothers were with him, both armed with knives and it didn't look like anything else. Good, it would be easier this way. "Looks like good ol' Mr. Johnson went an' hired himself some muscle."

"I didn't hire him." Mr. Johnson said, his voice feigning bravery. "He's staying with us. He didn't have anywhere to stay, so we-."

"Oh, isn't that sweet?" The man asked, looking to one of his brothers. "Ain't that sweet, Earl?"

"Yeah, _real_ sweet."

"Y'know what that means, Mr. Johnson?" The man asked, chewing on a toothpick. "The protection rate just went up."

"Please, I _can't_ afford that." Mr. Johnson begged. "M'wife is due any day and I had to let my farmhand go, if ya turn the power back on I'll go back home, I don't want any trouble."

"Don't want any trouble?" The man repeated louder, laughing as he looked to his brothers. "Now ain't that quaint. He doesn't want any trouble."

"We don't want trouble neither," His brother said from beside him. "So just pay us and we'll let ya be on yer way."

Mr. Johnson took a small step forward. "Please, I don't-."

"Get back!" The man in the lead yelled, aiming his shotgun and him. 'What's that on yer back, eh?"

"Looks like a rifle ta me." The brother on his left said.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Mr. Johnson." The man with the shotgun said, keeping the gun pointed at the older man. "Now what did I say last time about you bringin' a gun? Huh?"

"We said we'd break it over yer head." Said his brother on his right.

" _Right_." The lead brother said. "And what'd I say we'd do if ya didn't pay us last time?"

"We said we'd break yer knees." Said his other brother, a sick smile on his face.

"Now let's just calm down," Mr. Johnson said, slowly reaching to his back to his rifle. "Let's not do anything we'd regret-."

Leonidas noticed what he was doing and moved towards him. "Don't-."

"Don't you move neither!" Suddenly the gun was pointed at Leonidas, though he wasn't worried and in fact he _preferred_ it to be aimed at him rather than Mr. Johnson.

"Don't ya point your gun at my boy!" Mr. Johnson yelled, drawing his rifle just as the man's shotgun pointed back at him. Leonidas leapted forwards and tore the gun from the man's hands and broke it over his knee with a 'snap' before throwing the broken pieces to the ground at the man's feet.

" _Don't point a gun at my family._ " Leonidas growled, his deep voice low like a rumbling sky, the entire group silently looking at him in awe. He stepped in front of Mr. Johnson protectively and nodded to the truck the brothers drove up in. "Now, you're going to climb into your nice truck and go back home. And you're going to leave the Johnsons _alone_. Because if you don't," He leaned in close to whisper to the eldest brother. " _I'll snap your bones like I did that shotgun_."

The man seemingly didn't take Leonidas' threat seriously because he chose that moment to swing wildly at his face. Leonidas caught the fist easily in his own massive one and twisted the man's arm, causing him to let out a cry of pain. He then threw the man back several feet with one hand and slowly walked up to his brothers.

" _Go._ " His voice rumbled. " _Now_."

"Let's get outta 'ere!" One of the other brothers yelled, helping his brother to his feet and running back to their truck. "This guy's crazy!"

The eldest brother yelled to them as they got in their truck. "Yer gonna regret that, Johnson!" He cried. Before looking to Leonidas. "And _you_ , freak, I'm gonna skin you alive! Mark my words!" He shouted from the window as they drove off, still holding his hurt arm.

Mr. Johnson looked to Leonidas once the brothers were out of sight. "How'd you do that, son?" He asked, looking at the young man like he was looking at him for the first time. "Do you have military training?"

"...Something like that." Leonidas mumbled as he bent down and picked up the broken shotgun as Mr. Johnson's back was turned as he headed to his own truck and crushed the rest of the gun for good measure. "Let's just get back, I'm tired."

oooOooo

 **(Back at the Johnson's later that night)**

Leonidas and Mary sat facing each other on his makeshift bed in his room, despite her supposed to be being in bed. He promised to tell her _all_ about him when he came back. _Who_ he was, _what_ he was, _everything_ about him, so he asked her to follow him to his room so they could talk. After telling her briefly about his run in with the Baker brothers earlier that night, he started to tell her the truth.

"I'm a demigod." He said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"What?" She asked, her eyes filled with confusion. "Are you trying to be funny?"

"No," He reassured her. "You believe in the gods, right?"

"God, singular." She said. "I've gone to church every Sunday of my life.

"Well… what if I told you that… _other gods_ existed?" He asked, looking to her eyes to gauge how she was taking the news. "And that they sometimes have children with mortals?"

"I'd say that the second part has happened before, once a long time ago." Her eyes narrowed a little. "But what does that have to do with you, Leo?"

He let out a sign, this was as hard to explain as he thought it would be. "Because _I'm_ a child of one of those gods." He answered, not stopping after seeing her incredulous look. " _That's_ where I get my strength from." He told her, showing her his hands to demonstrate. "That's also why I'm so big, because my father was too."

The girl eyed him for a full minute, not saying anything and only looking into his eyes. "...It's _crazy_ , but I don't think you're lying to me." She narrowed her eyes again. "You're _not_ lying to me, _right?_ "

He shook his head. "No, of course not. I told you I wouldn't lie to you." He reassured her, taking her hand in his. "But I decided that if I was going to stay then I'd tell you the truth about me."

She hesitated before asking. "...So what kind of god is your father? What religion?"

"Greek." He answered simply. "You know, the ones you've heard of in history class. The Olympians, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, _those_ gods."

Mary blinked. "I thought they were just made up."

"Most of the world thinks that. But they really exist." He massaged her hand with his own. "And because I'm a child of them, a demigod, I'm destined to do something great." He said, a smile on his face. "I don't know what it is yet, I'm still waiting for a sign from the Fates or the gods, but I know one thing; I'll be a great hero. One never seen before in history."

The chestnut haired girl studied his face, coming to the decision that, no matter _how outrageous_ it sounded, or _how much_ it went against her beliefs, that Leonidas was telling her the truth. She smiled, putting her free hand to his cheek. "Then I'm sure that you'll be the greatest hero in history, Leo." She whispered. "Because you're the greatest man in the world."

He smiled, covering her hand with his over his cheek. "Thanks, Mary. You don't know what that means to hear."

"Think nothing of it." She removed her hand and sat up next to him. "So, that just leaves one last question."

"Yeah?"

" _Who's_ your dad?" She asked. "What's his name?"

Leonidas opened his mouth to answer but a loud voice coming from outside cut him off. "Get out 'ere, Johnson!" A shot rang out in the night. "And bring that freak with ya!"

Leonidas rose form the bed and headed towards the door but Mary grabbed his hand. "Don't go out their, Leo!" She begged. "They could kill you!"

"No mortal can kill me," He told her. "I'm a son of the gods, remember? I'll be fine."

"But-."

"If I don't go out there then they'll just come in here." He told her, rubbing two fingers across her cheek. "I'll be fine, I promise."

With that Leonidas removed her hand and headed outside, finding Mr. Johnson with his rifle in his hand and the eight Baker brothers all standing twenty feet or so in front of the house, all carrying guns this time. Either shotguns, rifles or pistols. Nothing Leonidas had to worry about. Silently he made his way to stand next to Mr. Johnson, zipping up his hoodie as he did.

"Ah, there you is!" The lead brother yelled upon seeing Leonidas, he drew another shotgun and pointed it at him. "Now, if yer smart you'll surrender, or my brothers and I'll kick yer ass!"

Leonidas didn't acknowledge him, however, and instead faced Mr. Johnson. "Get back inside, I'll take care of this."

The older man looked to him like he was crazy. "Ya can't be serious, son. These animals will kill you!"

"No animal or mortal can kill me." He mumbled under his breath, Mr. Johnson not recognizing what he said because of the situation before him. He stepped in front of the man and gently pushed him back to the door. " _Get inside_ , Mr. Johnson, protect your wife and kids."

"But I-."

"Enough of this!" The eldest Baker brother yelled, pointing his gun at them and taking a few steps closer. "I'm gonna kill both of-." In the blink of an eye Leonidas tore the gun from his hands and thrusted it back at him, hitting him in the face with the butt of the gun and knocking the man back half a dozen feet to the ground. He didn't get back up.

"Move!" Leonidas ordered, using more force and pushing Mr. Johnson against his front door. The older man looked at Leonidas with a fearful look before nodding and heading inside, locking the door behind him and heading to his wife and kids. Leonidas turned back to face the men just as they came to their senses.

"Why you!" One yelled, pointing his own rifle at Leonidas. "I'll kill you-!" Leonidas silenced the man by dashing over to him, grabbing the barrel of the gun with one hand and with the other introducing it to the man's face. "Ahhh!" The man cried as he flew back a dozen feet before finally hitting the side of the barn and bouncing off of it, a sickening crunch coming from him as his spine hit the edge of the building. Leonidas slowly faced the group of ten men.

"Who's next?"

"Damn you!" Another brother cried, pointing at him with his pistol. "We'll teach ya for that! Get 'em, brothers! And go inside and kill the family!"

"NO!" Leonidas yelled, darting to the man and shoulder checking him and causing him to fly even further than his brother.

The remaining brothers split into two groups, with the majority of them rushing Leonidas while the rest ran towards the house and started kicking at the door. "Get away from them!" Leonidas jumped for the men but was surprised with a bullet to his back.

'BANG!' The shot rang loudly in the silent night. The sound ringing in Leonidas' ears. The men cheered at this, thinking that they he'd beat their foe but when Leonidas stood up fully and turned back to them, his eyes filled with rage they realized their mistake.

"H-how in the-AAACK!" The man choked when Leonidas drove his extended fingers into the man's jugular, causing the man to crumble under his own weight to the ground. When he didn't move his brothers yelled even more.

"You bastard!" One cried, raising his shotgun at him. "You killed him-!"

"He wasn't worthy of the gift of life. He didn't deserve mercy. _None_ of you do, but I shall grant it if you leave." Leonidas said slowly, bringing his hand back in and patting his hoodie that was now glowing with a golden light. "Now, I'm going to give you all the chance to leave. As you can see, your bullets bounce off of me and I can kill you with one hand, no one has to die tonight-."

'BANG!'

Another bullet bounced off of his hoodie, cutting him off. Leonidas silently looked down to where the bullet struck and sighed. " _Mortals_ ,"He mumbled to himself. "So primitive." Then without warning he dashed towards the man who shot him and threw him back a dozen feet, hard enough to leave him groaning on the ground but not enough to kill him. He preferred to not kill unless it was absolutely necessary. In the end it wasn't up to him to decide who lived or who dies, that was reserved for the Fates.

oooOooo

Inside the house Mr. Johnson sat in his room with his wife and son, his gun aimed at the door. He tried looking for his daughter, but she wasn't in her room. He didn't want to risk yelling for her so he just wordlessly sent a prayer to god to protect his little girl for him. All of a sudden he heard the sound of wood breaking on the first floor. Their front door. They had broken in, Mr. Johnson silently cursed, had they gotten past Leonidas? Was he injured? Dead? He prayed to god that the boy he thought of like a son was safe, as was his daughter.

Cheers and yelling could be heard coming up the stairs, Mr. Johnson held his rifle straighter, pointed right at the door, blocking his pregnant wife and son with his own body.

"Come on out, Johnson!" A voice yelled from the stairs. "Where's your daughter and wife? We'd like to-AAAH!" The man let out a scream before a loud thud sounded that shook the house. Several gun shots followed, and several other screams followed them, coming from several different voices. The voices sounding like something out a horror movie where the monster kills a group of characters off screen. Mr. Johnson had no idea what was going on, so he continued to point his gun at the door.

"I surrender! I surrender! I-AAH!" A voice screamed before being silenced. A second later a heavy knock sounded at the door.

"Mr. Johnson, it's me."

"Leonidas?" The man cried, lowering the gun and heading to the door to unlock it. "How on earth are you alive? I thought you were dead, son."

The door opened and Leonidas stepped into the doorway. "I'm not so easily killed, Mr. Johnson." He paused to look to the two other people in the room. "Are you okay, Mrs. Johnson? Mason? Where's Mary?"

"We don't know." Mr. Johnson told him worriedly. "I couldn't find her! She wasn't in her room!"

"I'll get her." Leonidas reassured him. "She's in my room, we were talking before the Bakers showed up."

"Are there any more of them?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

"Maybe one or two hiding around," He answered. "But if their smart they'll retreat outside with their wounded brothers and leave."

"Just get my daughter." Mr. Johnson told him, his voice serious. "Don't let anything happen to her."

"You have my word-." Right at this moment a high pitched scream sound from the bottom floor. A feminine scream.

"Mary!" Both Leonidas and her father yelled at the same time, rushing down the stairs with Leonidas in the lead and Mr. Johnson carrying his rifle behind him.

Leonidas reached the last step to find one of the men holding Mary by her throat, a pistol pointed at her head. Letting out a cry, Leonidas charged the man before he could react and threw him to the side, turning his back and holding Mary in his arms protectively, shielding her. A second later a shot rang out and the man who had been holding Mary dropped to the floor dead. Mr. Johnson reloaded his rifle and ran up to his daughter.

"Mary! Are you alright?" She pulled her from Leonidas' arms and hugged her tightly. "Oh my baby."

"I am." She nodded, her voice shaky and her eyes distant, having trouble comprehending what was happening. _Shell shock_ , Leonidas thought.

"You son of a bitch!" A man appeared in the doorway, a gun pointed at the nearest person, Leonidas, and a second later he pulled the trigger.

Three things happened in the next three seconds, first, he heard Mary scream his name, the next second he saw a blur from the corner of his eye as she jumped towards him, then in the last second the gun fired and Mary hit the floor.

Leonidas stared at the girl in shock for an unknown amount of time as she laid motionless on the floor. He vaguely remembers hearing her father yelling something, maybe it was her name, maybe he was just cursing god, but it was muted and didn't fully register in his brain. Neither did the ringing in his ears, or the darkness around him, or the guns going off around him as Mr. Johnson fell beside him. The only thing that did register in his mind was one simple fact; Mary died and this man killed her.

"Brrroooaaawwwrrr!"

Letting out a low primal roar that sounded like a rumbling thunderstorm that nearly shook the walls of the house, Leonidas charged the man and pushed him through the wall a few feet behind him, relishing in the feeling of the shattering bones and stopping heart under his hand.

Next Leonidas charged through the wall towards the group of wounded men helping their brothers to their feet and grabbed the nearest man by his head and squeezing, the man's blood and brains exploding through his fingers with a sickening crunch. The men screamed but Leonidas roared in rage, veins popping from his neck, his face red and his eyes bulged as spit flew from his screaming mouth.

"Rrraaawww!" He bellowed, his deep voice rumbling like the earth as he attacked the men.

Leonidas leapt at the next man, pulling his arm from his body and began beating him to death with it. The lifeless body dropped to the ground, it's face disfigured and its body torn to pieces. From behind him, Leonidas heard another sound, so he turned only to be shot in the face with a shotgun.

"BANG!" Leonidas stumbled back, clutching his face. The man who shot him let out a cheer as he loaded the gun again, thinking Leonidas dead.

"You'll have to do better than that." Leonidas stepped out of the darkness and rose to his full height, uncovering his face. It was pot marked with red circles and a few drops of blood dripped from his cheeks but other than that he was unharmed. He spit at the man's feet, a combination of blood and buckshot. The man's eyes widened even more for three seconds until Leonidas reached for him and ripped his head from his shoulders.

In the end Leonidas doesn't remember what happened after that, or what completely happened _before that_ , actually. He only came to later to find the entire house torn down around him. The second floor was crushed on top of the first and a myriad of dead, mangled, disfigured, unrecognizable bodies around him. He searched the wreckage, finding Mason and Mrs. Johnson both dead, a bullet in each of their heads. Someone must have found them while he was busy toying and tearing apart the men downstairs. A few minutes later he found something that made his heart sink:

Mary.

Unmoving and crushed under some rubble.

Dead.

Carefully, he lifted her out from under the ceiling and cradled her in his arms, holding her head close to his heart as we wept. "Mary… I'm _so_ sorry…" He looked up the darkened void, the sky opened up a second later and rain bore down to help wash the blood from the earth. Leonidas sat like that for an unknown amount of time, he only knew that when he finally got up the sun was high in the sky. Slowly, he rose and carried Mary's body to a small clearing by the house and gently laid her down. Then collected the rest of her family and dug four shallow graves, far enough apart so that the dirt didn't collapse by close enough so that they could be together as they went to _Hades_. After placing a golden _drachma_ over each of their eyes and burying them, he gathered up the remains of the men and threw them into a pit that was going to be used for a new water tank and threw in a torch for good measure. Watching the bodies burn as he covered them with dirt. _So that they will burn twice_ , he thought. _Once here and once in_ _ **Hades**_.

Once he was finished he looked back up to the sky, screaming at the Fates for taking his family and Mary away from him. He screamed until his throat burned and he couldn't speak, cursed them until he ran out of words and promised that he would pay back Ares for filling the mortal's hearts with hatred and violence despite their being no proof that the god of War had anything to do with what happened.

Once the sun fell and the moon rose to take its place, Leonidas finally stood up from in front of Mary's grave, several of her paintings placed over the dirt. "I love you, Mary." He whispered, his voice rough from screaming all day for hours. "I always will, I promise. I make it up to you, even if I have to _kill_ the ones responsible for this, I swear it." With that he turned from the graves and headed into the darkness of the forest and soon became nothing more than a shadow in the night.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Thanks for reading, guys. I hope you, I don't know, saying 'liked' doesn't seem right after that ending. Was it okay? Did you see it coming? How do you feel about Leonidas now? Let me know, I'd love to know what you think about him. Next chapter we'll be returning to camp, don't worry.**

 **In case you missed it above: An important notice, guys, I WON'T be putting out a chapter next week, I'll instead be writing and putting out a Young Justice Bat Family Valentine's One-Shot. It will hopefully be out right on Valentine's day and will be mostly practice for my upcoming YJ story. Chapter 6 will come out the following week, the 23rd. Chapters will come out every weekend or so. Speaking of that, this story will be 19 chapters in total, so if I put out one a week I should be done on May 25th. I'll try to stick to this schedule and date as much as possible.**

 **Thanks again for reading, I'll see you guys on the 23rd. Please check out my YJ Valentine's one-shot if you're interested. It'll give me a good idea if you guys would want a YJ story.**

 **Until next time, have a great day,**

 **Hephaestus**


	12. Ch 6 Part 1: Dreams and Visions

Chapter 6 Part 1: Dreams and Visions

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Surprise! I'm here with a bonus chapter. I know I said I wasn't going to post a chapter this week until the 23rd because I'd be working on my Young Justice Valentine's One-Shot but I finished that early and had a good amount of this part of the chapter done so I decided to split it into two and post the second part this weekend. I also decided to split it up because both parts together would be really long and I figured you guys were having withdrawals without a chapter this week, lol.**

 **Remember to check out and vote on my Poll for my next Pertemis story that will be the story after next, with that story being a 'How To Train Your Dragon' HiccStrid story named 'I'm Dating A Prince For Humanities Class'. You can find both on my Profile. If you're on mobile and cant vote, PM me with your vote.**

 **I have a question for you guys, would you like another bonus chapter in between ch6 and 7 that focuses on the camp participating in their own Olympic Games? I'm talking about it in the second part and was planning on not showing it to keep the story focused on the plot but I think it can be fun. It would go up in the week in between chapters and be shorter than normal and come out once I get it finished. PM me or Review of you have questions or thoughts.**

 **I've been forgetting to say this since ch2 part 2, but if you want a good idea of what Leonidas looks like at 6'8" and 415lbs then look up 'Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson' aka 'The Mountain' from Game of Thrones or 'Brian Shaw strongman'. The Mountain is one inch taller and about forty-ish pounds lighter than Leonidas. I wanted you guys to know what he looked like compared to the other demigods, he isn't just tall, but built like a rhinoceros.**

 **Responses to Guest Reviews: If you don't want to read them then skip to the story:**

 **Guest Review:** Feb 4, ch4(10): Awesome chapter, but maybe you could give a teasers for their fight like trading a fee blows but stopping in between , and maybe an unhinged Percy would be awesome to read.

Thanks again .

 **Reply: Thanks for your review, I'd love to reply in person so if you could either log in or get an account I'd love to talk more about the story. I won't really be putting in teases for their fight, mostly because they have no reason to fight right now, they get along fine and are becoming fast friends. But also because I don't want to spoil anything. Have a good day, Hephaestus**

 **oooOooo**

 **Guest Review:** Feb 7, ch4(10): I quite enjoyed it so far. Very nice

 **Reply: Thanks for your review, I'm glad you liked it. Have a good day, Hephaestus**

 **oooOooo**

 **blackphoenix:** Feb 10, ch1(Sneak Peak): enjoyed it!the prophecy sounds creepy...

 **Reply: Thanks for your review, if you have a profile sign in next time so I can reply. That way I can take more time replying. Have you read the other chapters yet? What do you think about them? Have a good day, Hephaestus**

 **oooOooo**

 **anonymous:** Feb 10, ch5(11): have the heroes and gods still not figured that Leonidas is the mortal of might? and what is his parentage? Percy beat ares when he was 12, so can't be a son of Ares, hell percy is a titan booty kicking demigod and powerful enough to go toe to toe with giants even so who could be leonidas' parent that he is so so powerful

Also shouldn't leonidas' reflexes be fast enough to pull Mary out of harm's way?

update soon

 **Reply: To answer you question, no, the heroes have not figured that Leonidas is the mortal of might, though, that** _ **may**_ **be changing sometime soon, wink wink. I won't talk about the gods, though, that'll be addressed in a chapter. His parentage is a secret as of now and won't be revealed for some time but will be hinted at throughout the story, keep your eyes open and you might see them, then sign in or get an account and I'd love to talk to you about them. I won't say anything else to avoid spoilers, sign in or create an account next time so I can reply in person. I won't give out spoilers in chapters.**

 **To address your second point, Percy did** _ **not**_ **beat Ares when he was 12, he managed to stand his ground against a weakened, disorientated, mind controlled Ares while he was in the water. If it was a fair, one on one fight, Percy would lose if there wasn't certain circumstances giving him an edge or not allowing Ares to just wipe him out with a wave of his hand. I agree, he is a Titan booty kicking machine, but he is still human, well half, and Leonidas possesses the skill and strength to pose a serious threat to him. I won't say who his godly parent is, but once it's revealed I think you'll understand and be fine with it.**

 **About Leonidas not saving Mary, it's simple, he was too shocked, worried and awed to act in time. He saw it like a flash before his eyes, not like the time slowed down and he could see every detail as it happened. Could he have pulled her out of the way or blocked the bullet? Of course, but he just couldn't this time and its helped make him who he is today.**

 **I'm updating now, is that soon enough? I said I'd update on the 23rd, please don't pressure me to update sooner and demand chapters, I don't know if you are or not, but these take a lot of time to write and I won't rush them out, I'll only put out quality chapters. You're all lucky I'm putting this chapter out now. Have a great day, Hephaestus**

* * *

Chapter 6 Part 1: Dreams and Visions

 **(Unknown Date, Unknown Location)**

Two figures laid in a bed together, one peacefully sleeping as the other shifted and jerked in its sleep, plagued by memories of a day long passed but still managing to infest its mind and taint its dreams. Glimpses of faces, earth, snow, vile, monstrous beasts and blood filled it's mind. Memories of lost friends, broken promises and heart-wrenching fear of the unknown burst like a dam into the mind of the figure, entering his dreams and causing him to let out moans of pain and sorrow in his sleep, waking the person beside him and causing her to look at him with her worried, stormy grey eyes.

oooOooo

 **(June 1, 2010 - Mount Olympus, Greece)**

Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Jason and Piper stood on the side of Mount Olympus as a horde of minor Titans and Monsters threw themselves up the mountain at them, aiming to kill the demigods and destroy the godly mountain. Clarisse was leading the army of demigods in the valley below against the main army of Monsters and was loosing, a quick IM appeared before Percy just after he sent the Titans and Monsters down the mountain with a powerful wave of snow and earth, granting them a few precious seconds to catch their breaths.

"Percy! Oh thank the gods, you're still alive!" A muffled, frightened voice broke through the mist.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Percy called out over the roar of Kampê as she climbed up the mountain after them. Jason dropped from the air where he was sending down lightning bolts on the army next to Percy and could see fires and Monsters galore behind Connor as his fellow campers fought them off. Jason looked away for a split second when he saw a young Nike camper he didn't remember the name of fall to a pack of Hellhounds, the beasts ripping the poor child apart and tearing her limb from limb, chomping down on her lifeless body. Percy didn't flinch however, but Jason could hear a low growl escape his lips and feel a slight tremble in the earth under his feet. He was trying his best to contain it, but Percy was clearly angry seeing his fellow demigods fall and that anger was causing his powers to fluctuate dangerously.

"The barricades have been completely destroyed! The medical tents have been invaded and I can't find Travis, Clovis, Will or Butch anywhere!" He shot out in rapid fire succession. "We've lost more campers than I can count!" Clarisse's face suddenly filled the Iris Message.

"We're screwed down here, Prissy!" She yelled as a massive explosion sounded behind her, she used her tower shield to block the debris from hitting her. "Everyone is gonna be dead in a few minutes if we don't do somethin'! I've called my dad, and y'know how much he likes a good fight, but he won't answer! _The gods aren't coming! We're on our own this time!_ " She looked desperately at Percy, her eyes pleading. "Y'know I hate to admit it, but _we need you_ down here, Percy- Aaahhh!" Clarisse was suddenly cut off when a massive arm burst from the side of the IM, gripped her around the waist and threw her high into the air before crashing into the ground with a sickening crash. Connor's face filled the IM again, his eyes were wide with terror as he yelled inaudible commands to the campers around him. He nodded to whoever was besides him and two Ares and a Dionysis camper rushed to help Clarisse. Connor turned back to Percy.

" _We need you_ , Percy!" He cried. "I've been calling my dad but he won't answer either! If there were any time to go all beast mode like you did against Hyperion in the Battle of Manhattan then it's now! Bring down the whole damn mountain on them if you have to! _Screw_ _whatever Zeus and the other gods have to say,_ we'll all die and the Titans will reach the top of Olympus if we don't do something! If that happens, then it's _game over_ , the world will fall! Do _whatever_ you need to do to win!" Connor winced when a Hydra burst through the command tent he was in, only to be struck by a cloud of flaming arrows from the remaining Apollo campers. Connor leaned in as close to the IM as possible, tears visible in his eyes. "If you find Travis, tell him I-"

The connection was cut off suddenly as the Hydra's foot slammed into the earth where Connor was standing just a second earlier. "Connor!" Percy yelled at the top of his lungs. "Connor!"

Percy grit his teeth and could feel Jason grabbing him by the arm, getting his attention. Percy turned to him, the wind picking up around the Son of the Seas and the ground beneath their feet rumbled, his eyes ablaze so much that Jason internally winced. "There's nothing else we can do-."

"I'm gonna kill every last one of those damned Monsters!" Percy roared, pulling his arm free from Jason's grip as a minor Titan was only a hundred feet below them on the mountain, Percy blasted the Titan down with a wave of snow and earth, with, if Jason were to be honest, _more_ force than what was necessary. But he decided not to say anything. "If it's the _last thing I do_ , _I swear_ that I'll kill them all!"

"We need to stop those Titans from getting any closer." Annabeth stepped up to Percy, placing a calming hand on his still slightly shaking shoulder. She looked like she wanted to cry, not surprising, _everyone_ was fighting back tears, last they heard the medical tents had been destroyed and they were losing campers left and right, not only soldiers, but friends and family. "As much as it _pains_ me to say it, the campers _knew_ the risks. _Our job_ is to protect the original Mount Olympus _at all costs_." She gave Percy a quick hug before pulling up her dagger daringly. "We can avenge our fallen later."

Silently the other four campers turned to face Percy for some sort of plan. If _any_ demigod could pull this off, it would be _him_. Percy took a few seconds, but he nodded solemnly, his jaw set tight and fists gripped dangerously. "We will make sure that we protect Olympus and make sure that _none of our friends died in vain._ " He turned to Jason, his eyes hard. "Keeping blasting as much lighting and air at them as you can! I don't care if you have to rip open the sky, destroy those damned bastards!"

Jason nodded and quickly want to work summoning another thunderstorm. Percy continued, turning to Nico. "Summon as many skeletons as you can, we _need_ to keep the Titans and Monsters back so that Jason and I can take them out without being interrupted, I'm _not_ fighting these guys all at once." Nico nodded and ran off a few feet away and began to mumble under his breath as skeleton hands broke out of the dirt around his feet. Percy faced Piper next. "Your Charmspeak isn't any use against these Titans, so you and Annabeth stay back behind us-"

" _As if_." Annabeth interrupted him. "I can still fight!"

"I _know_ , Wisegirl. I know." Percy cupped Annabeth's face with his hand, looking deep into her stormy grey eyes, his own dulled green orbs shaking. "But I need you to use that big beautiful brain of yours and think of a plan. You're the 'planning' girl and I'm the 'punch them until they stay down' guy. Just trust me, okay?"

"I _know_ , Wisegirl. I know." Jason could see Percy cup Annabeth's face in his hand from the corner of his eye. "But I need you to use that big beautiful brain of yours and think of a plan. You're the 'planning' girl and I'm the 'punch them until they stay down' guy. Just trust me, okay?"

Annabeth nodded just as Kampê broke through the storm Jason created as she swung her massive scorpion tail at Percy and Annabeth. Percy took the full force of the swing, protecting Annabeth as they flew several dozen feet into the mountain side. Percy somehow managing to angle himself so that he took the full brunt of the force again.

"Percy! Annabeth!" Jason shouted as his friends disappeared in a cloud of dust and rock particles. He wanted _more than anything_ to run over there and make sure that they were okay, but right now he was the only one in their group with ranged attacks, it was up to him to keep the Titans back. "I'm sorry Perce…" The son of Jupiter looked up to the clouds. " _Please_ dad, where _are_ you? Send me a _little_ lightning, please? _Just one_ powerful bolt?"

"Rrraaa!" A voice screamed as rocks and earth exploded from where Percy and Annabeth fell.

Chaos broke out as Percy rose from the pile of rocks and sent an avalanche of snow at the approaching Titans before jumping at one that managed to avoid his attack. "Take that, Lelantos!" Percy mocked as he uncapped Riptide and launched himself at the Titan of the Air and Hunt, driving the leaf-shaped blade up to the hilt into the Titan's chest.

"Aaarrrggg! Damn you, sea spawn!" Lelantos cried as he dropped to his knees, in immense pain but still very much alive. That is until Percy -who channeled his increased strength from his Curse of Achilles- raised his foot to the Titan's chest, gripped Riptide and performed a powerful push kick that sent the Titan over the edge of the cliff and onto a few of his brothers before falling through the clouds and out of sight below. Percy wasted no time rushing to Kampê and slashing Riptide through her right front leg like a guillotine, screaming as he swung at the Monster. The monstrous behemoth bellowed in rage and pain, sending her scorpion tail and snakes on her ankles after Percy. One of the snake heads managed to bite his arm but quickly found it's fangs broken from his impenetrable skin.

oooOooo

The battle continued like that for longer than Percy would ever like to recall. The five of them managed to keep the Titans, Monsters and Kampê back, using the natural incline of the mountain to their advantage. But it wouldn't last for long. Piper was hit by a wave of energy thrown from an unknown Titan and landed on her ankle wrong. Even Jason heard the bone snap from his place in the air above them. Nico was about to collapse, after summoning a large army of skeletons he could barely stand as he held his bleeding side with his free arm, his Stygian Iron sword swinging wildly in the other. Annabeth was in the worst condition however, she was currently bleeding out atop a tall pillar of snow -courtesy of Percy- so that she was out of harm's way as Percy danced around the cliffside like a madman, slashing, cutting, kicking, punching and stabbing anything that moved with a feral ferocity that rivaled that of the very Titans he faced.

From above him, Percy heard a pained yell. 'Whaaaack!' "Ahhhh!" Jason cried out in pain, being punished for his momentary lapse in concentration when a Titan managed to hit him out of the sky. Jason braced for impact but it still shook every bone in his body. He managed to stop rolling a few feet besides Percy who was on the shoulders of a large Titan, repeatedly stabbing him in the shoulders and head with Riptide for nearly killing Annabeth. Jason rose to his feet before instantly falling back down in pain and raised his hand at the Titan. "Brace yourself, Percy!" Not a second later he sent an enormous bolt of electricity at the Titan, causing it -and Percy- to scream before the monstrous Titan dropped to the ground, its flesh charred black and smoking, dead. Percy struggled to his feet but after a second he walked over to Jason like he was perfectly fine and held out a hand to him, helping him to his feet.

"Thanks, man." Jason winced as he rose to his feet fully. "Sorry for the blast of electricity, but I figured it'd be the fastest way to take him down."

"No prob, Grace." He said as he rotated his shoulders and stretched his back. "Thank the gods I'm resistant to electricity, right? My godly blood combined with my Curse of Achilles makes me pretty sturdy to most things, so don't worry about it. That wasn't enough electricity to do any real damage. You'll have to try _harder than that_ to hurt _me_ , bro." Percy finished with a quick smirk before becoming serious again. Jason watched as Percy eyed the battlefield around them. The Titans were starting to slow down but the sheer amount of Monsters at the base of the mountain were another story. They caught their breaths as they watched the determined Monsters join the minor Titans in their ascent up the mountain. "We need to do something soon before we're overrun."

"Like what?" Jason asked, putting his hands over his head to catch his breath. "Unless we take them all out in one big attack, they'll _just keep coming at us_." Jason paused to send another blast of lightning at a Titan with two heads that was trying to sneak up on them. "We'd need the power of a _god_ to end this fight. We simply don't have the-" Jason was cut off when Percy put his hand on his shoulder, his eyes wide with realization.

"Say that again." Percy commanded.

" _What_?" Asks Jason, confused. "We'd need the power of a god?"

Percy nodded vigorously, his hand closing in a tight fist. He faced Jason suddenly. "Mount Olympus grants the gods their powers, right?" Jason opened his mouth to answer but Percy kept going. "So shouldn't the _same_ be true for _us_ as demigods?"

Jason blinked. "I don't think it works the same way for us-"

" _Of course_ it does! Can't you feel it?" Percy asked, looking up the the mountain above them, eyeing at as he had just been hit with an idea.

Jason looked around, confused. "Feel what?"

"The power flowing through this place?" Percy paused and noticed Jason's confused look. He gave him an incredulous look. "You mean you _can't_ feel it?" Jason shook his head. "All the growing power as we climb further up the mountain, it feels like it's energizing me or something."

Jason blinked again. "I don't understand-"

"Well that's not too uncommon." Percy joked before immediately becoming serious again. "I have a plan, but I need you to help me with something… but it could be dangerous."

Jason recognized how serious Percy was and decided not to reply to his joking insult. "Anything," He said. "Just tell me."

Percy nodded seriously before pointing to the others. "We need Nico to get the girls out of here, they're in and shape and will be at risk. I've got a plan." Without warning he darted off to intercept Kampê as she tried to slice him with her scorpion tail again, dodging and weaving as he avoided her colossal body. She received an avalanche of rock and snow to the face for her actions.

"But what's your plan, Percy?" Jason asked as he ran over to the cliff and started to summon more wind and lightning.

"To quote Connor, I'm gonna bring down this damn mountain on top of them! Hopefully Zeus won't be _too_ pissed. If I'm right then I should be able to ask the mountain for help. Help keep the Titans back for as long as you can!" With that, Percy shouted his orders to Nico who looked weary at his plan, but shadow traveled to Annabeth anyway, took her by the arm and said something to her that couldn't be heard because of the distance before shadow traveling away and appearing next to Piper and quickly began morphing back into a shadow with the two girls. Nico was about to shadow travel off the mountain with Piper and Annabeth, but was stopped when Percy grabbed his arm tightly.

"Take care of them for me, Nico." Percy said seriously, looking to his younger friend with a shaking jaw, hard face and worried eyes. "I- I may not… _make it…_ so look after Annabeth for me, please. Protect her for me."

Nico squared his jaw and nodded solemnly as he helped Piper stand next to him. He wanted to tell Percy off for coming up with this plan, did he even think about how Annabeth was going to react? But he knew that _honestly_ , this _was_ their best option, and that there was no way to talk Percy out of it. Nico just prayed to all the gods that were listening to look after his best friend. The son of Hades nodded solemnly. "I will, Percy, you have my word." Nico held out his free hand. "You just do what you gotta do."

Percy shook his hand tightly, nodding with a tight smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes. "Thanks, bro. _Don't_ come back for me, you focus on getting everyone out of here alive. Try to call the gods for backup once you do, there's _no telling_ how long I'll be able to hold them back. Go back to the Pillars of Heracles, try asking him for some help. He's the closest god since the rest are in America, having him in the fight couldn't hurt. If that fails try calling your dad or Thanatos, with all the deaths happening here, _at least one of them_ should be around here." At that Percy turned around and bolted further up the mountain, calling the Titans offensive names that neither Nico or Jason feel like repeating, getting their attentions and making them chase after him.

oooOooo

Nico had only left with the girls twenty minutes ago, but it felt like several hours had passed. After seeing more than half of their enemies flee, the minor Titans and Kampê seemed to get a second wind, believing that their victory was even closer. But Percy and Jason weren't going to go down without a fight. Percy could see the son of Jupiter soaring through the air like a fighter jet, bringing down the largest lightning storm he had ever produced while Percy stayed on the ground, taking a more hands on approach to fighting the Titans. The son of the Earthshaker barreled at the attacking Titans like an out of control berserker, swinging his sword and shield around like a maniac, screaming as he charged them like an out of control locomotive. The very mountain beneath them rumbling at each step of the demigod as he got ever closer to his opponents. Percy slammed into the closest Titan with all of his might, thankful that his Curse of Achilles protected him from dislocating his shoulder when he ran into the Titan with enough force to shatter tempered steel.

"Gaaahhh!" The Titan bellowed in pain, watching as his leg was suddenly facing the wrong direction. The colossal Titan fell, flailing his arm wildly, trying to hit Percy, but none of the blows made contact. Taking advantage of his enemy's pain, Percy drove _Riptide_ into the Titan's neck and jerked his arm back, slicing through the flesh and killing the Titan.

Percy quickly faced the line of Titans and Monsters, walls of earth and snow rolling like waves towards the group with Percy at the epicenter. Percy thrusted his sword into the sky, the heavens rumbling and the earth shaking. "Who else wants some?!"

oooOooo

 **(June 1, 2010 - Mount Olympus, NY, Council Room)**

"Tell me why in _Chaos'_ name we aren't down there! The demigods are dying and need our help!" A voice roared from a throne resembling a fisherman's chair. The god on it was seething and the crashing oceans around the world showed that.

"You _know_ why, brother." Zeus said with an irritated tone, his stormy eyes narrowed at his older brother. "And you know _why_ we cannot-."

"To _Hades_ with your reasoning!" Poseidon yelled, his hands slamming down on his seat, causing the earth to rumble and the oceans to rise slightly. "The Promised Day isn't even a _year_ away yet! We have _more than enough_ power to flash down there, kill those Titans and save our children!"

"I _agree_ with Poseidon, husband." Lady Hera spoke from her throne of dazzling peacock feathers, looking to her husband with pleading eyes. "I may not be fond of some of them, but the demigods _are_ our family. And as the goddess of family-."

"As the _King_ of the gods I forbid it." Zeus cut her off, looking from his wife to Poseidon. "I do not care _how_ fond you are of your child, brother, but the life of _one_ demigod _is not_ worth the lives of the _entire pantheon_!"

Poseidon jumped to his feet, the impact causing the ground beneath them to shake. "My son's life is worth _ten_ of yours, _brother!_ " He spit out the word like poison, his aura fluctuating dangerously. "And I cannot sit idly by as I watch the demigods- no, _our children_ ," He scanned the hardened faces of the council around him before looking back to his brother. "Die because _we_ ordered them to their deaths!"

Zeus jumped from his throne, summoning his Master Bolt and symbol of his power and pointing it at his brother. "Sit. Down. Now!" He bellowed, the sky around them rumbling dangerously. "As your king I _order you_ to stay in Olympus! If you leave to help the demigods then you will be committing treason!"

"Do you even _hear yourself_ , brother?" Poseidon cried, gesturing to his younger brother. "Try thinking of them as _children_ and not as nameless _things_! You won't even call them anything except ' _demigods'_. They. Are. _Our. Children_."

"That is of no consequence!" Zeus retorted, his neatly trimmed beard shaking from his roars. "As I said, we _must ensure_ the safety of the pantheon, nothing else matters!"

Poseidon pointed to the floating ball at the center of the room that was displaying the battlefield in real time, thanks to Hecate, over the Hearth where Hestia quietly sat. " _Your_ _son_ , along with _mine_ , are fighting for their lives against any _army of Titans_ not even one of _us_ could defeat single handedly." The other gods silently watched as the orb showed Percy standing further up the mountain storing power as Jason flew below him summoning down lightning bolts on the massive horde. "You see _that_?" Poseidon stepped closer to the orb and hovered his hand over it. "I can _hear_ my son, he's _praying to us for help_. To grant him the power necessary to win!" The god of the Seas eyed every member of the council as they sat with pained faces watching the battle. "Do you not _hear_ his desperate cries in your heads? _Feel_ his terrified please in your bones? Do you all feel nothing?!"

From the other side of the room a lithe girl of twelve stood, dressed in a silver hunting cloak, her silver bow appearing in her hand. She looked to Zeus. "Father, allow me and my hunters to flash to Greece, I can assist Perseus and Jason-."

"No, _sit down_." Zeus spat at his daughter, the girl hesitated a few seconds before complying. "We can _not_ risk our lives to assist the demigods, the danger is too high. If it is their Fate to die-."

" _Their Fate?!_ " Poseidon roared, the floor beneath them vibrating as he stepped towards his brother dangerously. " _You_ are sending them to their deaths! Do _not_ claim that it is their Fate!"

Zeus stepped forwards as well, his Master Bolt gripped tightly in his hand. "Sit _down_ , brother," He warned, the air around him growing thick with electricity. "You are bordering on treason-."

"And you are bordering on _madness_!" Poseidon countered, summoning his Trident and slamming it to the ground, causing the earth to rumble. " _When_ will you realize that we cannot survive without the demigods? If you allow them to die here then it doesn't matter _if_ we make it to the Promised Day or not, because we would have _already_ lost."

" _Lower your Trident_ ," Zeus ordered, his own weapon in his hand. "There is no need-."

Poseidon stepped forwards so that he and Zeus were almost nose to nose. " _Make_ me-."

"That is _enough!_ " A voice called out as two arms pushed the brothers apart a few paces. A second later Hera bravely stepped in between the two, her eyes looking like she was scolding a child. " _What_ is _wrong_ with you two? Olympus is on the verge of destruction and you two cannot behave! You are acting like children!"

"You _dare_ -." Zeus started but was cut off when a wall of flames burst from the Hearth and prevented him from moving towards his wife. The council silently turned to where a little girl of nine rose from beside the Hearth. She was dressed in an earthy brown dress and her usual calm eyes were literally blazing with rage.

" _Sit down_ , little brother." Hestia ordered, her young voice low with rage before looking to everyone around her. " _All_ of you, sit." Poseidon and Hera sat immediately, Artemis, Apollo and Ares- who had all jumped to their feet in preparation for a fight- sat down a second later. The only figure daring to defy the first and last Olympian was Zeus. Hestia narrowed her eyes dangerously at the king of the gods. "I _said_ sit." The flames of the Hearth flared to life around her, scorching the floor and ceiling and causing the other gods in the room to pull back in their seats. Zeus sat a second later. "We are _gods_ , _not_ children. It is our duty to govern over this world and protect it from those that would wish harm upon it. But we _cannot_ do that if we are _fighting each other_."

She looked between Zeus and Poseidon. "We will end the council meeting here to allow ourselves to regain our composure. We _cannot_ allow our emotions to control us." Her eyes flickered to Poseidon. "I am sure that you have flooded some small island somewhere and dropped a few cliffs into the sea, brother." She waved her hand in dismissal to Hera. "Sister, take your childish husband to your palace and calm him down." Hera quickly nodded and rose, grabbing the arm of her husband and flashing them out of the room. While she very rarely gave them, every god on the council knew to follow Hestia's orders. She was the eldest Olympian and therefor had the most power, she could raze a nation to the ground with a torrent of fire faster than the gods could blink if she wanted to, so the gods knew to respect her.

Finally, Hestia looked to Poseidon. "Come with me, brother, you require peace of mind as well. I too do not wish to see young Perseus to die."

oooOooo

Back on the rumbling mountain in Greece the two most powerful sons of the Big Three battled the approaching army. If the blood dripping from Jason's slacked arm was anything to go by, the two wouldn't last long. As he sent down lightning bolt after lightning bolt at the Titans and Monsters, Jason could feel a mass of swirling power above him right before he heard someone yell his name.

"Jason!" The voice cried. Jason instantly recognized it as Percy's. He turned in the sky to face his best friend. Percy was a hundred or so feet up on the mountain, his arms shaking as he held them over his head, if his quaking knees were any indication, he was straining his body as he controlled something. "Get out of here!"

"I just can't _leave_ you-."

"Do it!" Percy cut him off, his body shaking under the strain. "If you don't, you'll die too! _Don't make_ Piper go through that too!" Jason was about to say something but those last words make his heart stop and his eyes widen.

"Oh gods…" He muttered under his breath as the realization hit him. "No…"

"Get to the others and take them home! _Don't_ wait for me. I might not..." Percy ordered, his voice tight with strain. "Protect- protect Annabeth for me. Tell her…"

Percy didn't look like he could finish so Jason nodded silently, understanding. After summoning down one last powerful lightning bolt, he performed a hand gesture over his heart like was warding off evil. "You have my word, Perce." He whispered as he flew higher into the sky and out of the reach of the army. "May the Fates be with you." With that the son of Jupiter shot away from the mountain, leaving behind his best friend, leaving him to die to save his own life. Jason bit back tears as he broke the sound barrier to chase down the retreating Argo II. _I'll tell Annabeth for you,_ he thought. _I promise._

As soon as he knew Jason was out of the way, Percy let out a primal, pain-filled cry as he released the swirling vortex of snow, water, stone and wounded Titans from the sky and threw them at the army as they climbed up the mountain after him.

"Aaah!"

"Arrgg!"

"By the Primordials!"

The cries of the Titans and Monsters could be heard as they tumbled down the cliffs, roars of pain and anger. Percy almost dropped to his knees but determination and adrenaline kept him standing, he wasn't done yet, _not even close_. They were still breathing.

"Father!" Percy cried into the heavens, his veins protruding from his neck as spit flew from his mouth. "Hades! Hephaestus! I beg you, grant me your power over the earth to level this mountain down around the Titans! I don't care _what_ happens to me, just let me end this and avenge my friends, please! Let me kill these Titans!"

But no reply came. The mountain air around him continued to blow around him like it hadn't heard him. Letting a few curses escape his gritted teeth, Percy hobbled to the cliffside behind him and placed his hands on the exposed earth, sensing every minute rumble, every minor fluctuation under the earth, gathering all of the power he could to level the mountain under him.

"Guess I gotta do it myself…" He mumbled as the cliff started to rumble under his touch. With another cry he pulled back before slamming his closed fists on the mountain with all of his might, causing the earth to rumble around him. Massive stones the size of elephants crumbled and fell down around him, all of the snow in his area shooting down the mountain towards the army.

Pulling back his fist, Percy cried as he threw it into the cliff with a deafening blow, the falling dust and snow blowing back from the sheer impact. His Curse of Achilles protected his skin from breaking and hardened his bones, but each haymaker he sent at the mountain still shook his bones and made him bite his lip and curse in pain, it felt like he was repeatedly shattering every bone in his hands every time he punched.

"Ahhh!" He cried again as he drove his shoulder into the cliff, causing more stone and snow to fall, most missing him but a few boulders and piles of snow managed to hit him in the head. "Gaaah!" He fell to one knee under the weight, his skull feeling like it had burst in two after the last impact, but he forced himself to his feet and charged at the mountain again, screaming.

" _Come on,_ Percy!" He bit out through bloody teeth as he made himself stand again after his last shoulder check made him stumble to his knees. He looked up to the mountain, he could sense he was making an impact, he didn't know _how_ , but he _knew_ that if he kept this up that the mountain would fall and the Titans and Monsters would die. He _only_ had to keep it up. "You can do this!" With that cry he charged again, putting all of his strength into the tackle and drove his crossed arms into the mountainside.

'Crrraaaccckkk!' The mountain shook like a flying cruise ship had struck it, causing it to rumble and break down around him. But too slow.

"Get the demigod before he kills us all!" A Titan yelled from a few hundred feet below Percy, a few other Titans behind him brandished their weapons and threw themselves at Percy.

"Kill the demigod!" The cried as they flew at them. Percy forced himself to a knee, not able to stand. He summoned _Riptide_ and used the weapon to help him stand before rising to his shaking feet and pointing the blade at the horde.

"I am Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon! Slayer of Kronos and Champion of the gods! Come as much… as you want, but I will _not_ yield, I will _not_ surrender! And I… will _not_ die until I send you all to _Tartarus_ even… if I have to bring Mount Olympus down on top of us!" He roared, a feat that required a good amount of his limited energy but he held firm and ordered his body to hold despite the screaming in his bones and and the pounding in his head. He would die here, he _knew_ that, he had come to terms with it when he sent the others away. But being in the moment? Now knowing for certain that he was going to die, what was going through his mind? What was he feeling? Only a sickening pang of guilt and sorrow for leaving his loved ones too early. "I'm sorry, mom… Annabeth… I'll see you in _Hades_." He was about to leap off of the cliff and launch himself at the ground to put his last embers of strength into his attack when above him the sky rumbled and a second later the air smelled of saltwater and something flew down from the clouds and landed in front of him.

It was a Trident, but not just _any_ Trident, but his _dad's Trident_. His godly weapon that granted him complete and total control over the seas and earth. Percy instantly understood, his dad was watching but couldn't help directly, so he sent him his Trident. Percy eyed the godly weapon cautiously, with this he _might_ be able to win, but even _just sitting on_ his dad's throne as a kid felt like it was going to vaporize him, could he even survive controlling, let alone holding the Trident? The sky rumbled lowly above him and Percy received his answer. His dad wouldn't have sent it to him if he didn't believe in him. With a trembling hand, Percy reached towards the Trident. He could feel the aura of power the weapon gave off increase by every centimeter as he got closer until he finally thrust his hand forward and grabbed the Trident.

It felt like he was blown apart atom by atom, he couldn't describe it in words. They couldn't do it justice. He felt every wave across the world, saw every fish in the seas, sensed every foot as it stepped on the earth and could feel his body growing in tune with the storming sky above him. Only a few paces away the nearest Titans thrust their weapons forward, believing that the still and crouching demigod had either died or was beyond his breaking point, not recognizing the weapon in his hands until it was too late.

"Oh no, that's-!"

"GAAAHHH!" 'BOOOM!' The air around Percy exploded as the prongs of the Trident made contact with the Titan, causing the creature to burst like an exploding grape and shooting his remains back at his brothers with enough force to knock them to their feet.

"What the-?"

Percy was losing consciousness, he could tell by the way his vision blurred and his bones quaked. But he _wouldn't_ let himself die before he killed the Titans, so he thrusted the Trident over his head and found himself flying on a spinning column of snow, air and earth as he hovered over the trembling Titans, primal roars escaping his lips without him knowing as the sky around him darkened. With every move of his fingers the waves hundreds of miles away slammed against the rocks and beaches. With every shout the entire mountain below him shook and rumbled, threatening to crumble in on itself. With every breath the air around him fluctuated, the heavens bristling with electricity and rain and hail bore down on the countryside.

His vision was fading, he had to do this _now!_ With one last final cry Percy thrust the Trident above him into the sky and swung it over his head like a sling. Within seconds the rain, hail, earth, snow and storm halted from falling in the air around him and started to rise and circle the heavens.

Several dozen tons of stone, earth and snow lifted from the mountain, breaking apart and forming into the swirling mass above them. From the peak of the mountain a deafening rumbling shook the sky and Percy cried, echoing the sound as his voice reverberated against the mountaintops and cliffs, causing rocks to shatter, snow to evaporate instantly and all mortal life within the mountain range to lose consciousness from the sheer amount of pressure, energy and power flowing around them.

With what he thought to be his last, the Son of the Seas cast the massive swirling vortex of stone, water, snow and bodies down at the mountain. The deafening impact sounding like the earth had split in two because of the force. For thousands of miles around him, the earth shook from the impact, the seas leapt into the heavens and the sky rumbled like the very atmosphere around him burst.

And then there was nothing but darkness and silence throughout the world as the earth stumbled from the power he unleashed. The heavens darkened and every mortal being, human and animal alike, collapsed to the ground, asleep, a second before the god of Sleep fell to it in exhaustion, causing the world to forget the titanic display of power.

oooOooo

 **(May 5, 2011 - Percy and Annabeth's bedroom)**

The sound of shattering glass and a shriek woke Percy, causing him to quickly sit forward on his bed and look around the dark room with worried eyes. "Anna-?"

"Oh thank the gods." A mass of blonde hair engulfed his vision as he came to. Annabeth hugged him for a half a minute before letting go and pulling back so that her face was in front of his. "Are you okay, Percy?" She asked, her grey orbs searching his. "You were shaking and crying out in pain."

It was only now when he noticed the spikes of ice jutting into the walls and the frost in Annabeth's hair. "What happened?"

Her eyes darted to the shards of glass in a small puddle on their nightstand. "My glass of water… you… _made it explode._ "

His eyes widened as he began to check her all over for injuries. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," She reassured him, shaking her head slightly before dropping it on his bare chest. "But I was _so_ worried for you, Percy." She paused to snake her arms around him and pressed herself as close to him as she could. "You were shaking and crying out in pain for _ten minutes_ , I tried _everything_ but I couldn't get you to wake up. I almost went and got Clovis from Hypnos to wake you up." She admitted.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't." He muttered under his breath. "The camp can't know about this."

Her head tore from his chest. "Why?" She demanded. "And before you lie, I _know_ what you were dreaming about, Percy." Her eyes softened and so did her voice. "Just because you have nightmares about the Third Titanomachy _doesn't_ make you weak or anything. You _are allowed_ to be afraid of things."

"But as the leader of camp I can't show that fear." He told her, leaning back onto his soaked pillows. "They're _just_ bad dreams, I'm _fine_ -."

"If you were fine I would hear you crying in your sleep almost every night." She gave him a hard look. "If you won't talk to _me…_ then go see Katie-."

"And join her group crying parties?" Yeah," He scoffed. " _No thanks_."

"It's _called_ Trauma Therapy," She said calmly, trying to maintain her cool. If she started to raise her voice when he was like this they would end up getting into an argument. This very subject had been the cause of a few of them over the months and she didn't feel like getting into one now. "And they get together to help each other get through things. Not _all_ of them are there because of the Third Titan War-."

" _Most_ of them are." He cut in, letting out a long breath through his nose. "And I _don't_ need to talk about my feelings."

"That's bull and you _know_ it." She leaned in close, her face a few inches in front of his. "Percy, there's nothing _wrong_ with having PT-."

"Oh there you go _again_ about me having PTSD." He cut her off again, pulling away and climbing out of bed, pausing to look at her before he walked out the door. "I'm _fine_ , Beth. Now let's just drop it, okay? Get some sleep, I have some camp paperwork to do."

She sat up in the bed. "You're not coming back to bed?"

"Pfft," He let out a soft breath of air. "You _know_ I can't sleep after those dreams. I don't want to keep you up anymore than I already have."

"But-."

"Night." He was about to close the door when he paused and looked back at his girlfriend, his face betraying him as it watched her with pained eyes. He whispered, "Sorry. I love you, Wisegirl" before shutting the door and heading to his office to try to make a dent in the stack of work he needed to do. The entire time berating himself for treating Annabeth like that. After a few minutes of staring blankly at the papers in front of him, Percy let out a curse as he rose from his desk and made his way into their microscopic kitchen, turned the stove on and started to dig through the fridge. He'd apologize with breakfast in bed when Annabeth gets up in a hour. And then apologize more and promise not to snap at her like that again. And then most likely have to sign up for private sessions with Katie to talk about his dreams.

Domestic life sucked some times when you lived with someone else, but he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

oooOooo

 **(May 5, 2011 - Unknown location)**

A tall, slim figure with a wild mane of red hair that went out in every direction stood facing a stony rock wall in a dimly lit cave. The figure swayed back and forth methodically to an inaudible song, side to side endlessly, its striking green eyes rolled back into its head, its arms waved to and fro as it dragged brushes against the bare rock watching an unseeable story play in its head, trying to bring to life the visions dancing in its eyes, trying to glimpse _some meaning_ from the images that had been flying through its mind for the past few weeks.

Its bare, rainbow colored toes danced on the rock as it swayed and darted on the stone floor, reaching out in every direction at once to paint the pictures from its mind. All around the figure, colorful, striking markings lined the walls of the cave, not a single inch of the walls spared from the paint. Blurry, distorted golden streaks cut and slashed over the purple blotches along the walls, the two colors trying to overtake the other. All along the cave the two colors danced and battled for dominance, fighting for the upperhand though never gaining an inch for longer than a few seconds. Every night now for a solid week the figure rose to paint the colors, each hand commanding a color as the two participated in an endless, whirling dance of death, each stroke of the brush a detriment to the other color as they endlessly fought for the upperhand.

Among the streaks of gold and purple, tiny, almost unnoticeable swirling blotches of orange and light green dotted the walls watching the two other colors, waiting for the right time to challenge the victor for dominance. The figure, its lithe body drenched in the colors, desperately tried to represent the ever changing tapestry of visions dancing in front of it unseeing eyes until the early hours of the morning when the sun just started to creep over the horizon. The early morning rays shining onto and through the gaps of the large velvet curtains blocking the entrance of the cave and making their way into the cavern and filling the previous darkness with an ethereal glow. Once the light snaked its way through the room over the weathered stone, ancient brittle bones and rusty swords it touched the skin of the figure, snapping it out of its trance, causing it to collapse to the floor with exhaustion from dancing around and painting all night.

The mass of frizzy red hair let out a few audible groans as it came to, released from its duty, tired, sore and nursing a splitting headache. After letting out a few curses under its breath, the figure slowly rose from the stone floor and climbed to its feet, holding it's head in it's paint stained hands as it blinked and focused it's emerald green orbs on the myriad of purple and gold streaks staining it's stone walls. After the few seconds the figure let out a defeated sigh and made its way further into the cave where it's chambers lied, desperate for a few short hours of respite before its visions plagued it again and forced it to wake once more to paint the colors once again that night.

With shaking legs and trembling hands, the figure made it to its chamber and collapsed onto the bed, burying its face into the mattress and immediately succumbing to the spell of Hypnos and falling into a deep slumber.

Back out in the paint stained cavern, the fresh paint streaked and ran from the walls, the two main colors running over the other to the floor, the streaks and blotches of gold and purple now washing over the other as gravity pulled them to the earth.

But the walls weren't the only surface to be covered, up in the eerie darkness of the cave, hidden and blocked by shadows, another collection of colors rested. Along the stalactites and stone was an ever flowing swirl of golden red and orange/light green mix like a vortex. At the center of the swirl stood two crude figures crafted out of sharp lines and paint blotches, one twice the size of the other, they were standing in front of the other, thin, straight streaks like weapons held over their heads as they swung them down on the other, one a large streak with a blocky end while the other was thinner and ended with three points. Though they remained unmoving, the figures seemed alive with a sort of ominous aura surrounding them, the power flowing from their images alone was enough to cause the insects and animals to flee from the cave and dart into the woods, the painter being the only creature willing to go near them. Each set of colors, golden red and orange/light green danced on the ceiling around the other, among them were several scenes crudely worked around the rock and stone. A rough, crumbling mountain could be seen around the two, the two figures in front of or on it. Dark blue, almost black waves rolled up along the sides of the ceiling behind the smaller figure wielding the pronged weapon. Massive stones lined the heavens around the two as they fought, almost like they were dancing in the sky. The aforementioned sky, was abyss black above the two figures and was lighter the further it got from the two, with streaks of soft red dancing at the edges of the black mass, trying to power it's way through to the two battling figures but not being able to gain an inch against the power of the blackness.

The glorious and ominous scene above went completely unnoticed by the painter as it made its way to its chamber, however, unaware that it had been working on that specific piece for the past month every night, only remembering vague glimpses of the gold and purple fighting below on the walls. Not knowing that the scene above its head was there or how crucial it would soon be to its friends, humanity, the gods and the very fabric of the Tapestry of Fate itself.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **How did you like that ominous foreshadowing at the end there? Let me know what you think of it means and who you think the mysterious painter is. It's a canon character, btw.**

 **Let me know what you thought of the chapter with a Review, Follow and Favorite and follow me on Twitter.**

 **Fun Fact:** **Leonidas killed the Nemean Lion when he was fourteen, same as Percy, but he did it alone and with his bare hands and not with the help of the Hunters or disgusting astronaut food.**

 **Question of the day:** " **What do you think is Leonidas' Fatal Flaw?" If you don't remember, they were introduced in 'The Sea of Monsters' and are flaws or weaknesses that people have. For example Percy's is Excessive/Personal Loyalty while Annabeth's is Hubris or deadly pride. Using what you know about Leonidas so far in this story, what do you think his flaw is? I'm actually curious to know what you guys think. His Fatal Flaw will be expanded on throughout the story and is a major part of his character, obviously. It'll be obvious by the end if you don't have an idea yet, no worries. Let me know and I'd love to talk about it.**


	13. Ch 6 Part 2: Sneaking Out

Chapter 6 Part 2: Sneaking Out

 **(Author's Note)**

 **(AN: I have some 'yet to be determined how bad it is yet' news, my dad is taking my mom to the ER. So I'm going to release this chapter a day early in case I can't tomorrow. I don't think we have to worry just yet, but we're all hoping that it's nothing and not a sign her cancer is back with a vengeance. My progress and updates may be slow for a little while, I apologize beforehand, but family comes first, I hope you all understand)**

 **Hey everyone, how's it going? I'll try to keep the notes brief. First off, don't forget to vote in my Poll for my upcoming Pertemis story that will be after my next story, a HTTYD HiccStrid story. You can find the poll and descriptions on my profile. If you're on mobile, review or PM me with your vote.**

 **Brief heads up about this chapter, stuff gets kind of heavy towards the end. Percy** _ **might**_ **seem ooc but I can assure you that if you think about everything he says in this chapter and what's happened so far, that you won't think anything about it. Also, I mention stuff like depression, self harm and suicide, so trigger warnings for those of you who are sensitive to those types of things. I meant no harm and tried my best to handle them as best I could, but if I did something wrong and didn't realize it, let me know.**

 **Leo is in this chapter, so some of you might be wondering where Calypso is, and my answer is; still sitting on her island waiting for people to return. I wanted to add her in the story, I really did, but I thought about it and because of a few reasons(such as the reason why Zeus closed Olympus,** _ **again**_ **) I decided that I just can't have her walking around camp with Leo, as much as I'd love that. So in this story Leo never got sent back to her island and they aren't together and he's more or less his usual, flirty self.**

 **Thanks to everyone who replied to the QOTD, I had three or so correct answers. I won't say what the answer was, because I don't want to spoil anything, but I'm impressed that so many got it right. I'll be doing a QOTD and Fun Fact ever chapter now, so read to the bottom to check them out.**

 **Well that's enough delay, onto the chapter! I'll see ya guys at the bottom. Don't forget to leave a Review!**

* * *

Chapter 6 Part 2: Sneaking Out

 **(May 10, 2011 - Camp Half-Blood)**

" _All_ I'm saying is, you have to take into account all of the positives and upsides. This could _really_ help you go up the ladder and open a _lot of doors_ for you. This is a limited time offer, if you don't accept in time then I'll _just_ have to move onto the next person in line."

"I'm _still_ going to have to say no, sorry."

Leo blinked, not understanding why his offer of a lifetime was being turned down again. "But _why_?" He asked, following the person as they walked quickly away. "I mean, think about _all_ the benefits-."

"I can't think of a _single_ benefit to going out with _you_ , Leo." The girl snided with a smirk. "Now will you _stop_ following me? It's _creepy_. I need to get to archery class." The taller girl brushed past him and headed into the armory, Leo was going to follow her in but a hand grabbing his collar from behind stopped him.

" _What_ did I tell you, Leo? No _means_ no." Leo recognized the voice as a disgruntled Piper. He turned around to face the daughter of Aphrodite and put on the most innocent looking face he could.

"I don't know _what_ you're talking-." He started to say but cut off when Piper raised her brow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, maybe I _was_ asking Taylor out again, but if she just agree to go out with me-."

"Don't you think that there's a _reason_ why she, or _any_ girl at the camp for that matter, won't go out with you?"

"Because they can't handle this sheer amount of irrisistableness- Ow!" Leo cried, rubbing his sore arm. "You _didn't_ have to slug me, beauty queen."

Piper rolled her eyes. "How many times have I told you to _stop calling me that?_ " She asked before letting out a breath, not knowing _why_ she bothered. It seemed like every day now Leo tried to hit on one of the girls at camp and for _some reason_ it was _her_ job to deal with him. For not the first time this day Piper internally wondered where Percy was, _he'd_ be able to set Leo straight, _maybe_. "Just leave them alone, okay?" She dropped her arms and looked at her friend seriously. "A word of free advice, Leo. If you keep acting desperate like this, no girl is going to go out with you."

Leo was quiet for all of three seconds and Piper had thought that she had actually gotten through his thick skull until Samantha from Nemesis walked by and Leo almost ran off after her. "Hey, Sam," He called, turning on the spot. "Lemme talk to ya for a sec- ah!" This time a different, stronger hand grabbed the back of Leo's collar and stopped him from running off, spinning him and making him face an irritated looking son of Jupiter.

"Is he chasing the girls again?" Jason asked Piper, not even looking at Leo, which irritated the son of Hephaestus. "I swear, he's worse than the Satyrs with the Nymphs."

"Like he does _anything else_ these days?" Piper asked sarcastically from next to Jason, talking about Leo like he wasn't even there. "I know he's a senior this year and wants a girlfriend before he graduates, but he's turning _really_ desperate. It's actually kind of sad."

" _Hey_ ," Leo said, pulling out of Jason's grip and facing the two. "I'm right here, you know."

"Shush, Leo." Jason waved him off. "The adults are talking."

"Ha, _that's_ rich-."

"Anyway," Piper cut him off, looking at her boyfriend without paying Leo any mind. "We have some time free from Council meetings, right?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, nothing until this evening, if I remember right."

"What do you want to do?" Piper asked.

"How about we watch Leonidas kick more Ares kid butt?" Leo cut in.

"How about you beat him and make all of the girls impressed? They'd be _sure_ to go out with you then." Jason joked, but from the widening eyes and smile on Leo's face it seemed like the Latino elf took his suggestion seriously.

"You think that would work?" Leo asked, his eyes wide with hope. "Think I would win?"

" _Not even close_." Jason told him. "He would _literally_ crush you."

" _Hey_ ," Leo whined. "Way to make a guy feel bad, bro."

"I was _just_ being honest." Jason shrugged in a 'what did I do?' sort of manner. "But I _would_ like to check out some spars, though. With the camp gearing up for the Games, _everyone_ is putting in extra practice at the arena and training fields. It's always intense seeing Leonidas fight. Who is he fighting today?"

Leo thought for a second. "Hm, uh, I think Sherman and Nathan are the last guys standing from Ares, so probably them."

"He's already beat the rest of the cabin?" Piper asked, amazed. "But the Ares kids are some of the best fighters in the camp."

"But _nothing_ when it comes to Leonidas, though." Jason told her. "You should've seen him the other day, Pips, he took out the _entire_ Nemesis cabin out by himself at once in only a few moves."

Piper whistled. "Wow, has he been doing that a lot?" She asked.

Her boyfriend nodded. "Yeah, he's been taking on everyone that's even a decent fighter in preparation for the Games. Last I heard he's the top contender in several events this year. Pretty much _everyone_ is putting their money on him to win."

"Are you competing this year, Jason?" Leo asked as they walked towards the arena to catch some training sparring matches. Camp didn't have any television or radios, so the only sporting entertainment the campers could get into were the sports they could do there. Basketball and volleyball were always big in the winter and spring, with archery and canoe racing usually in the fall months(not that the camp really _had_ seasons, but they split sports up by season so that they had some variety). But the biggest event at camp was held during the summer: the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games were _by far_ the biggest events of the year, as a society that worshiped and celebrated the Greek Gods, the campers respected and held the Games at the highest degree. One could say that the outside world took the Olympics seriously, sure, but not compared to the demigods. This was their history, religion, ancestry and an event so deeply rooted into their culture and lives that to say that they took the Games seriously would be a disservice. But unlike the rest of the world around them, the camp held the Games every year because of the young ages of the competitors, if they were only held every four years then some campers would only get one or maybe two chances to compete in their lives before either leaving camp or dying in a horrifyingly painful death.

Campers twelve and older were allowed to compete every year in twelve different events based on their abilities, with certain cabins holding more records in certain events compared to others, such as Percy with the swimming events where he was the undisputed champion. The first and most simple event was also one of the oldest sports in human history; Greco-Roman Wrestling. This event was normally dominated by the Ares or Hephaestus cabins due to their greater physical strength and larger size, but has now been rightfully claimed by Mika, the only daughter, and child, of Palaestra, the goddess of wrestling. The next events were Foot Races and were normally won by Hermes campers. Boxing, again dominated by the Ares kids. Chariot races, Discus Throwing, Long Jump, Javelin Throwing, Pankration(which was a combination of Boxing and Wrestling, think ancient MMA). Archery, Weightlifting, Sword Combat, either with a sword _and_ shield or _just_ with a sword, and finally Swimming.

Campers were allowed to compete in any and all events that they wished, as long as they had the ability to compete and the resolve to endure that much intense training throughout the year to maintain their abilities and physical condition. Also unlike the outside world, events _weren't_ split by age, gender or skill, the demigods believing that _anyone_ , regardless of who they were, was allowed to compete, as long as they were able to back it up. Many feared that this year that the Games would be subdued compared to previous years or even cancelled because of the disappearance of the gods. That was, until Leonidas came to camp and Percy returned and the camp regained most of their previous drive for the events. Speaking of the son of Poseidon, he usually competed every year and either placed very high or won in several events like Wrestling, Chariot Races, Weightlifting, Sword Combat and Swimming, with the last three being his best events as he had a mastery in the water and being a son of one of the Big Three and possessing the Course of Achilles granted him superior strength over most demigods. But word around the camp surrounding Percy and the Games this year was worrying the campers, because they said that he, for _whatever_ reason, _wasn't_ going to compete this year.

"Most likely." Jason answered him, shrugging. "With Percy not competing this year, I might have a chance to win in Sword Combat if Clarisse doesn't enter."

"Wait," Piper looked up to him, her eyes widening with surprise. "Percy _isn't_ competing this year? I thought that was just a rumor?"

Jason shook his head. "Nope, it's true. I asked him myself the other day. He says that with all of the extra work he's doing leading the camp he doesn't have the time to practice or compete."

"I get that, but it'll _suck_ this year without Percy." Leo sighed, disappointed. "It was always cool seeing him break his records from the last year."

"He also said that because Chiron's gone that he'll most likely have to lead and run the Games." Jason added. "And as one of the judges it wouldn't be fair for him to enter."

"That makes sense." Piper agreed as they entered the grounds around the arena where a dozen or so campers were practicing. "It wouldn't be fair. Who do you think is going to win the events he usually does?"

"I don't know how good he is at swimming, but my money is on Leonidas." Leo answered excitedly. "He's _by far_ one of the best sword fighters we have and in any strength event I'd say he has first place in the bag."

"Anyone from your cabin entering this year, Pips?" Jason asked. It wasn't usual for the Aphrodite cabin to enter _any_ events, but he was pretty sure that a certain son of Aphrodite was going to enter this year.

"Esteban's competing in Wrestling, Boxing, Pankration and _maybe_ Weightlifting, I think, though he hasn't decided on the last one yet." She answered, thinking about the eldest boy in the cabin as well as her second in command. He was from Spain and was by far _the_ most athletic person in the cabin, holding a black belt and several awards in Krav Maga and Muay Thai from high school in state and regional competitions. He _may look_ like an underwear model with his perfect teeth, styled hair, attractive eyes and flawless features, but he is able to kick your ass seven ways to Sunday without breaking a sweat. "I'm doing Sword Combat again this year, but I don't think I'll be able to win. _Especially_ with Clarisse, Leonidas and you competing, Jason."

"I'm sure you'll do better than you think, Pips." He smiled before looking over to the main practice area surrounded by a dozen cheering onlookers.

"Are they doing hand to hand or sword fighting today?" She asked right before a yelling camper was thrown over the ducking heads of the crowd and tumbled to the dirt, moaning but seemingly unhurt.

"I'm going to say hand to hand," Jason said to her, looking back to the dirt patch where a mammoth man of six foot eight **(203.2cm)** and four hundred and fifteen pounds **(188.2kg)** stood in the center, his arms still extended from a throw. He wore oversized sneakers, black shorts and a giant sleeveless muscle shirt that showed off his chest and arms. A slightly disappointed look was on his usually jovial face.

"Was _that_ the best you could do, son of Ares?" He called out to the dizzy camper as he slowly climbed to his feet. "I _thought_ that you said that you placed _fourth_ last year in Pankration? So far I haven't seen _any_ sign of your talent yet."

Said son of Ares, also known as Nathan, looked like he was going to say something that might get him thrown again but a voice from the edge of the circle called out, cutting him off. "That's 'cause he _solely_ relied on his strength to get so far last year, he lacks _any skill whatsoever_ in wrestlin'." A tall, large and muscular girl of eighteen stepped forwards. She was built like a powerlifter and looked like she belonged in a video game or movie as a barbarian or Amazon warrior with her towering height, muscular build and habit of wearing nothing but exercise clothing like shorts and large muscle tank tops over a sports bra around camp 24/7. Which is why Leo had started jokingly calling her Xena: Warrior Princess after the old tv show until she caught on and threatened to turn him into a human pretzel. She was _by far_ the largest and strongest girl at camp and was only beat in size by Leonidas- but beaten in skill by Clarisse- so she wasn't easy to miss and everyone could recognize her on sight.

Leonidas turned to the muscular girl walking up to him, examining her as she approached- but not in the _lecherous_ way that some guys (including Leo) looked at her when she trained or competed, not that she ever really seemed to care beyond scaring them off so she could focus- like he was sizing her up as a worthy opponent. "It's Mika, right?" He asked her once she stopped a few paces away from him, crossing her muscular arms over her sizable chest. "Daughter of Palaestra?"

"The one 'n only. Yer forgettin' current champion in Pankration and Wrestling, big guy." She smirked, looking to Nathan as he glared at her before facing back to Leonidas. "If ya want a _real_ challenge then _I'd_ be up fer it." She didn't wait for a response and made her way to the starting spot opposite of Leonidas and dropped to her stance. "Standard Pankration rules, 'ight, big guy? Show me what ya got."

Leonidas' face grew a little uneasy, his voice a little softer than normal. "I've never wrestled a _girl_ before-."

"And _what_?" She cut him off, a confidant, mocking smile on her face. "You _scared_ to fight a _wittle girl_ like me?" She asked, referring to herself as a far cry from her appearance, she stood at 6'5" **(195.9cm)** and weighed in at almost exactly 200 pounds **(90.7kg)** at the weigh in at the Games last year and was _far_ from being able to be called a 'wittle girl'.

He blinked, shaking his head slightly. "No… Scared I might accidentally grab something I'm not supposed to by-."

"Just promise ya won't get too handsy and it's good enough fer me. I don't care, the only girl I've ever fought was Clarisse anyway, since the rest of the competition was filled with guys last year." She held her hands out in front of her in a boxing stance, ready to spar. "'Sides, if ya plan on entering you'll have to fight me at some point. Better get used to fightin' girls, big guy, Clarisse and I are two of the best fighters at camp. We'll see ya in the finals fer sure."

Leonidas hesitated for a few seconds before apparently deciding that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to spar against the best wrestler at camp and nodded. "Alright, then," He took his spot across from her in the center of the dirt circle, raising his hands on front of him. "It would be an honor, daughter of Palaestra. Show me why you're the best at camp."

The crowd cheered as the two giants got into position as an Ares kid went over the few rules for the match, no biting, no striking the groin or other sensitive areas, kicking or striking the face, etc and started the match. "Round one. Aaand… BEGIN!"

The two towering titans danced around each other as they circled the dirt ring, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Neither of them looked like it, but they weren't the type of fighters that attacked recklessly. They instead listened, waited and watched for the best moment to strike. Mika seemingly found an opening because without warning she charged Leonidas and sent a kick at Leonidas' side, hitting just above his waist with her shin.

Leonidas wasn't fazed, however, because he dodged her second and third kicks before dashing forwards and throwing a fist at her stomach. The blow didn't have much power behind it, because Pankration was about scoring points and not just knocking out your opponent with one powerful punch to the face like Muhammad Ali, something that _both_ Leonidas and Mika could easily to but normally chose not to when sparring or fighting in matches because it was kind of cheap.

Mika shook off the strike and launched a powerful heel kick at the center of Leonidas' chest, slightly pushing back the man enough for her to charge in and deliver three more fast strikes into his midsection. Mika jumped to the side to avoid any retaliation but was caught by Leonidas' superior reach over hers, grabbed and tackled with a bear hug and driven to the ground.

"You got her, Leonidas!" Leo cheered with the crowd as the two behemoths wrestled on the ground, fighting for the upperhand. Leonidas was currently on top of the girl and pinning her arm to the side as he tried to force both her shoulder blades to hit the ground, ending the match and granting him victory. But at the last second Mika flipped them over, changed direction and squeezed Leonidas' head with her powerful thighs and put him in a shoulder lock, his arm locked behind him painfully.

Mika spoke, her words separated by deep, long breaths. "Give up… big guy. I'd… rather ya not stay… down there too long…, it's kinda awkward." Mika grunted out between breaths as she increased her hold of Leonidas' head in between her muscular thighs. "'Sides, You're not… gettin' out an' I… _ain't_ lettin' in neither. Yer gonna _pass out_ … if ya _don't tap out._ "

Leonidas spoke, his words separated by deep breaths and gasps, his face pulled to the side allowing him to breathe as well as avoid having her butt and ' _lady parts'_ as he called them right in his face. It was by far one of the most awkward positions he had ever been in. "" _No retreat, no surrender; that is… Spartan Law. And by Spartan Law… we will stand… and fight… and die."_ " As soon as the last word escaped his lips, Leonidas threw himself forwards and sent the girl face first into the dirt.

Several winces and 'oohs' among the crowd could be heard as the dust settled and revealed Leonidas holding the girl in a headlock with his arms as his leg draped over her waist, holding her down even further. The two looked like they were going to keep wrestling but the same Ares kid stepped into the ring and blew a whistle. "Time! End of round one!"

Leonidas promptly let the woman go and rolled to his feet before holding out his hand and offering her help up. Mika looked at the outstretched hand for a second before a wide grin washed over her face and she accepted the helping hand. Once they were both up she lightly socked him on the arm in a friendly manner. "Nice one, Leonidas." She smiled, raising her large arms over her head as she attempted to catch her breath. "I thought I had ya for sure."

"I thought the same for a second," He admitted, smiling in return before it dropped and he turned a little anxious. "I'm sorry if my… face… uh, got too close… _down there_ ," He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I've never fought a girl before so I had to remember to-."

" _Nah_ , you were fine." She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I don't mind as long as you're just fightin' and not using it as an excuse ta touch me, it's part of the sport, I'm used to it. I used ta wrestle on the boys team at school, stuff like that happened _all_ the time, I could tell ya stories, _believe me_." She paused to rotate her shoulder a few times. She lowered her voice and leaned in a little closer to Leonidas, her hand covering her mouth like she was telling him a secret despite them being watched by a crowd. "I'll admit, I've used that move on a few guys before because some of 'em freak out an' I use it to pin 'em down." She wore a sly grin, putting her other hand on her wide hips. "I ain't afraid ta use my 'feminine wiles' to gain the upperhand." She chuckled, saying the last part with air quotes. "That's how I got outta a pin by Percy last year. I woulda won anyway, mind ya, but I knew a nice guy like that would freak."

"Are you guys gonna go for another round or are you done?" The Ares kid acting as referee asked. "'Cause if you're done then we'll begin the next match."

"I'm done." Mika said, surprising the crowd and Leonidas. " _Not_ that I'm afraid or nothin', 'kay?" She looked to the crowd with a glare that told them not to think she was weak or scared. She looked back to Leonidas and held out her hand. "I just don't like fightin' my future opponents too much before the Games. Don't want ya to figure out a strategy to use against me, y'know?" She paused when Leonidas shook her hand after a few seconds. "But I wanna see ya at the finals, ya hear me, big guy?" Leonidas nodded and she smiled. "Then ya better bring yer A game 'cause I ain't gonna go easy on you just 'cause you're new."

"Then you have my word, I'll see you in the finals, Mika." Leonidas said before the two left the dirt ring and headed their separate ways, Mika going over to to the large pile of tractor tires to work out while Leonidas stopped at a wooden bench where he grabbed his stuff, put an elbow, two knees and a wrist brace on his joints and promptly headed off down the dirt path, nursing a large, soft ice pack over his left elbow as he walked quickly away. And because Jason and Leo were curious to find out from the big guy what events he was going to do, they, along with Piper, followed Leonidas down the dirt path and into the trees around camp.

"Where do you think he's going?" Jason asked as they tried their best to follow the large man without just bursting into a run or yelling out to him. "To practice archery maybe?"

Leo gave a shrug. "Dunno, but I heard he likes to spend a lot of time in the woods."

"Why?" Jason asked.

Piper shrugged this time. "Maybe he just likes it? He spent most of his life in the woods, right? Maybe he likes it better than being constantly surrounded by people. It could be overwhelming for his sometimes." She looked to the two boys. "Maybe we should just let him be, we don't want to bother him."

"We're _not_ bothering him," Leo replied. "We're just asking him what events he's going to do. And _maybe_ ask him to give me a few lessons so I can attract the ladies."

Piper rolled her eyes as Jason cocked his head to the side, looking at Leonidas momentarily stop down the path in front of them. "What's he drinking?"

"What?" Piper asked, following his eyes to the mammoth man that was currently taking a swig from a metal flask he took from his pocket. After downing the liquid, his face briefly contorted like the drink was vile before promptly putting the flask in his pocket and heading further down the path through the trees, getting ever closer to the barriers of the camp.

"He just drank something from a metal flask." Jason told her, watching the man walk off.

"Maybe it's just water?" Piper suggested.

"Then why did he have it in a tiny metal flask?" Jason asked, motioning for them to keep following the man. "And did you see his face? He acted like it was disgusting."

"Did you see how he was walking?" Piper added. "He was almost stumbling like his legs couldn't hold his weight."

"Maybe it's liquor?" Leo shrugged as they quickly- and more quietly now- walked down the dirt path after Leonidas. "He could be drunk."

Piper shook her head. "I don't think that's it. Leonidas doesn't seem like the kind of guy to get drunk anyway."

"Well, _whatever_ he's doing I want to know." Jason said as the three of them paused behind a bush. The had reached the spiked wooden wall that ran the length of the camp's borders and Leonidas was looking around him like he was checking for something. "What is he doing?" He whispered.

Piper was about to reply when without warning Leonidas bent his knees and jumped over the spiked wall. Easily clearing the twelve foot barricade without breaking as sweat and landed without a sound on the other side, or, at least Piper _assumed_ that he landed, but since she didn't hear anything it was hard to tell.

"Now I _really_ want to know what he's doing-."

"Know what _who's_ doing?" A voice from behind the three asked, scaring the demigods and causing Piper to let out a yelp.

Jason pivoted in the dirt to find Chris Rodriguez from Hermes standing there, a curious look on his face. "What are you guys doing? Why are you all crouched behind a bush whispering? If you weren't here, Piper, I'd think these guys were spying on girls."

Blinking a few times, Jason stood, holding out a hand to help Piper as he waved for the older boy to follow them. "We were following Leonidas and he just jumped over the wall, come on, we're gonna follow him."

"He's sneaking out?" Chris asked as they made it to the wall, looking in every direction but not seeing a gate. "But how are we going to follow him? The wall has spikes, not to mention enchantments set up by the Hecate cabin, if we touch it we'll fall asleep."

"We'll do what he did and go over." Jason snaked his arm around Piper's waist and flew into the air. "I'll take you guys over one at a time."

Once the four of them cleared the wall, Chris used the stealth and tracking skills he knew from the classes he taught and more or less had an idea of where Leonidas went. But, as Leo pointed out, was obvious since the big guy accidentally snapped a tree branch as he ran off, besides, it was the only direction that wasn't surrounded by large rocks. After tailing the man for fifteen minutes, the four demigods reached the edge of town and found the man they were following crossing the small, almost empty street and heading for the several shops. Jason was familiar with this town, as it bordered the woods around the camp. It was small, mostly reserved for the few farming communities around the area and the campers would often come here for supplies in the past or if they wanted to escape the business of the camp and had permission to leave. But Leonidas didn't have permission for either, as far as Jason was concerned. Percy had closed off the camp borders and prohibited anyone from leaving camp. Whatever Leonidas was doing, couldn't be good.

"What do you think he's here for?" Chris asked as they made their way into the town and began walking down the sidewalk next to the small shops. "He run out of clothes that fit him?" He joked.

"He could just be out for a walk." Leo suggested, looking at Piper. "You said that camp might be overwhelming for him or something, maybe he's just getting away for the afternoon."

"I don't know…" Piper shook her head. "If you ask me he'd just relax in the woods if he was overwhelmed by the crowd at the arena. Why would he sneak into a town with _more_ people?"

"He might be spying on us." Jason said, his voice suddenly turning very serious. Piper noticed him grip the coin that held his sword. "And he might be here to tell whoever sent him about us."

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked, a confused look on his face. "Leonidas _isn't_ spying on us. He's awesome, he _wouldn't_ betray us. He's our friend."

Piper spoke up before Jason could. "Jason's just still upset that Leonidas got in his face a few days ago when Drew tried to Charmspeak him." She told Leo, giving Jason a look out of the corner of her eye. "It was _just_ a misunderstanding."

"I'm _not_ upset that Leonidas got in my face." Jason quickly came to his own defense. "I'm _just_ weary of random strangers we know _nothing_ about coming to camp out of the blue."

"You mean like _us_? The camp didn't know _anything_ about us when they found us at the Grand Canyon, but they took us in anyway. And we should do the same for him." She told him quickly, her brow raised. "Just because he doesn't like talking about himself, _doesn't_ mean that-."

"Uh, guys?" Chris cut them off, pointing to a small alley between two shops. "Leonidas just went into that alleyway." The four demigods were about to run over to the alley when Leonidas stepped back out of the alley a half minute later later, dressed in a large, blue button up dress shirt and black slacks. Fumbling with the small latch of his bag with his large fingers, Leonidas threw the muscle shirt he had been wearing previously into the bag and continued on his way down the sidewalk towards more shops and restaurants. Chris blinked in surprise, as did the other three people in his group. "Did he just change into a dress shirt and pants?"

"I think he did." Leo confirmed. "Unless I've gone crazy."

"Its possible," Jason mumbled. "But that would mean I've gone crazy too."

"Ooh, satin silk, _nice_ choice. It goes well with his defined cheekbones and handsome face, he cleans up a _lot_ nicer than I imagined. Though, I would have rolled up the sleeves a half inch higher and pressed the shirt before putting it on. The shoes aren't right though, you _can't_ wear sneakers with silk. Leather dress shoes would have been a better choice." A voice popped up, only being able to belong to a daughter of Aphrodite. The three boys gave the girl blank stares. "What? I can't appreciate a handsome guy in some nice clothes? At least I wasn't like _Leo_ here and was watching Mika wrestle Leonidas with drool dripping from my mouth."

" _Hey_ ," Leo whined. "I _wasn't_ drooling. And what's wrong with looking at her? I think she's hot, so what? Can't I fawn over a girl I want to ask out in peace?"

" _No_ , you can't." Piper denied quickly, shaking her head. "Because it's gross and inappropriate."

"And besides," Jason cut in as they followed Leonidas from a distance and watched him stop at a flower cart and begin to talk to the old lady behind it, smiling. "I don't think it's a good idea to ask her out. The _last interaction_ you had with her almost ended up with her snapping you in two." Jason blinked in disbelief when Leonidas handed the old woman behind the flower cart some money and received a small bouquet of flowers in return, said a few last words to the smiling woman and continued on his way before turning down another street. "Did he just buy a bouquet of flowers from an old lady?" He asked in disbelief.

"I _think_ he did, _though_ my eyes may be deceiving me." Chris muttered next to him. " _What_ on earth is he doing?"

"I honestly have no idea…" Jason mumbled. They turned the corner and continued to follow the large, strange man down the street as he casually looked in the shop windows with mild interest, smiled and waved to the kids with their parents as he passed and nodded his head in greeting to an old balding man and his wife with a cane, helping the husband load their groceries into their car. After exchanging a few words, he handed a rose to the old woman with a smile and went on his way, waving off the dollar the old man offered him as thanks. Leonidas had a great deal of respect for the elderly, it seemed. And was also able to charm old ladies, apparently.

From beside him, Leo continued his blushing about Mika as they walked. "What do you mean? She's just my type, hot, fit, _totally_ out of my league. She'd be _great_ Leo material."

"You're forgetting that she _totally hates you_ with a burning passion, as usual." Jason deadpanned. "Have you _forgotten_ that you filled the dirt wrestling ring with water, turning it into a mud pit and sold tickets to an 'everything comes off mud wrestling match' between her and Clarisse last month?" Jason asked in disbelief, doing air quotes when talking about the mud wrestling match. "Because I don't think _she_ has, and neither has Clarisse. She almost impaled you with her sword when you asked her to put on a bikini to wrestle Mika."

"I offered them a cut, what's the problem?" Leo asked, an incredulous look on his face. "So it was eighty for me and twenty split between them, I _offered_ to raise it to thirty percent but Clarisse and Mika still almost ripped me in half." He gave a shrug. " _All_ I'm saying is, we would have made a _killing_ , two hot, muscular girls wrestling in a mud pit, the _entire camp_ would have showed up. And since neither Chiron or Percy were there we wouldn't have been interrupted if Clarisse and Mika had cooperated and put on the bikinis like I asked."

Piper eyed the son of Hephaestus with narrowed eyes. "You are disgusting and despicable."

Leo looked like he was about to reply when Leonidas stopped in front of a small cafe, talked to a waiter before sitting at a small wooden table outside, putting the flowers down next to his feet. "Is he sitting at a cafe and ordering a coffee and a small croissant?" Jason asked as the waiter returned, giving Leonidas a small insulated cup and said french pastry before writing something else down on his notepad and walking off.

"Looks like tea to me." Piper spoke up as they crouched behind a flowering bush outside of a small shop that sold talking plastic fish on trophy walls. "See how the cups the other people are drinking have little pictures of coffee cups on them? His doesn't, so it might be tea."

The three boys were completely silent for half a minute as they watched Leonidas patiently wait at the table, watching people as they passed, that is, until Chris held his hands out in front of him in a 'you gotta be kidding' gesture, a disbelieving look on his face. "This guy just keeps getting _weirder_ and _weirder_ the longer we follow him. What's next, he stops by the pet store to play with the puppies?"

Piper was just about to mention how cute that would be when something caught her eye. A tall, striking young woman in her early to mid twenties stepped out from around the corner in front of them and made her way down the sidewalk towards the cafe where Leonidas sat. She was dressed in a simple yet stylish soft, light red sundress with yellow streaking patterns running up the dress from the hem, giving off an impression to Piper that it could have been a stylish representation of a shining sun in the early morning light. The dress stopped at her fingertips and was extremely modest, showing off some of her collarbones but stopped before it showed any cleavage. The stunning woman glided down the sidewalk in her beautiful golden heels like a runway model. Her strawberry blonde hair, sticking out of under a large, black beach hat on her head, flowed freely down her back and swayed elegantly in time with the light breeze that Piper only now noticed. She must of also been wearing _really_ strong perfume because the soothingly swirling breeze brought with it the distinctly sweet smell of delicious saffron. Her flawless skin was young and healthy, with a rosy tinge to it that made the woman appear like she was constantly blushing. Piper tried to get a good look at her face, but if the angle wasn't right or someone or something was in the way, she couldn't get a look at the woman's face, almost like her eyes couldn't focus on it properly. The woman paused outside of the cafe, enjoying the smell of the coffee and fresh bread before silently wafting her way over to where Leonidas sat like she could hover over the ground, her posture perfect as she practically floated over the ground.

"No. Effin'. Way." Leo forced out as the woman approached the table, Leonidas now rising to greet her. "Don't tell me… she _can't_ be…" The dazzling woman leaned up to place a quick peck on his cheek before allowing him to envelope her with his large arms in a tight embrace. "She _is…_ oh my gods… the _lucky bastard_." Leo's jaw was on the floor as Leonidas helped the girl to her seat, sat across from her and presented her with the bouquet of flowers. The same waiter came by and delivered another, larger tea to the woman, offering her a big goofy smile before leaving, most likely fallen for her good looks.

"I _literally_ cannot process what is happening in front of me right now." Leo groaned from his spot hiding behind the bush. " _Who_ is she and _how_ do I get her to go out with me?"

The other three demigods ignored the son of Hephaestus as Jason voiced his question. "I don't get it… is _she_ the person he's telling our secrets to? Or are they waiting for someone else to arrive?" The group was quiet for all of fifteen seconds until Piper smacked the back of his head, causing the son of Jupiter to cry out in surprise and pain. "Ow!"

"Are you really _that_ much of an idiot?" She demanded, giving her boyfriend a disbelieving look. She pointed to where Leonidas and the unknown woman sat as they laughed at one of his jokes. Piper couldn't hear them because of the distance, but she knew that the woman _had_ to have a beautiful, crystalline laugh if her appearances were anything to go by. "What do you _think_ they're doing down there sitting at the cafe, drinking tea and sharing a croissant?"

Jason blinked. "Ensuring that they have a good cover- _ow!_ " He let out another cry when Piper smacked him in the head again. " _What?_ What did I do? _Why_ are you hitting me?"

"Because you're an _idiot_." She mumbled under her breath, sighing. "Its _obvious_ what's going on."

"What's that?" Leo asked, voicing both his and Jason's question. He received a narrowed look from Piper and he recoiled. " _What?_ I don't get it."

"You two are _hopeless_." Chris breathed out, putting his head in his hands and shaking it slightly. "They're. On. A. _Date_." He enunciated each word perfectly, giving the two other guys disappointed looks.

"And how do you know that?"Jason asked quickly. "She could be in disguise-."

"Because I've taken Clarisse there several times." He cut Jason off, giving him an exasperated look. "It's her favorite place, girls love it. We used to go all the time before Chiron left, she would always get this fancy tea that I could never remember how to pronounce. And she would always read off the menu at our table in a terrible french accent, it was always adorable but her french was _awful_." He gave Jason another look before giving Piper an apologetic one. "I'd expect this kind of thing from Leo, since he's _hopeless_ in relationships, but you, man? You're _in_ a relationship." He pointed to Piper. "Your girlfriend is _right_ there. _How_ can you not recognize a couple out on a date?"

"How do you know they're a couple?" Leo asked, his voice like he wanted to go down there and challenge Leonidas for the woman, something that would most likely get him squashed like a bug by the large man. "Maybe it's a first date."

Chris rolled his eyes. "With how they greeted each other? You _don't_ kiss on the first date before it even starts, are you crazy? Then look at their clothes, dress shirt and pants that are, what did you say, Piper, satin silk or something?"

The girl nodded. " Yep."

Chris continued. "Leonidas _always_ wears _two_ types of clothes, exercise ones and armor, he _wouldn't_ dress up that much for a first date. Then look at her, she's _flippin' breathtaking_ , I don't care _how much_ a girl wants to impress a guy, she's _not_ spending _that_ much time on herself for _just_ a first date." He then gestured vaguely to the couple. "And do you see the hand holding and laughing? No," He shook his head. "That's _not_ a first date. They've _obviously_ been going out for some time."

Jason blinked and Leo whistled, "Since when were you a son of Aphrodite, Chris?" He asked jokingly.

Chris gave him a look. "Since I started dating Clarisse and learned how to be romantic. What, do you think that she just keeps me around because of my good looks?" He let out a few chuckles. "You might want to take notes, Leo, and so should _you_ , Jason, on how a guy takes a girl out on a date." He then looked to an impressed looking Piper. "Anything to add, Piper?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "I think you've just about covered everything. Very well, I might add."

"Thanks, I must have spent weeks praying to your mom for advice when Clarisse and I started dating. I had no idea what I was doing but didn't want to mess it up."

Piper smiled. "I see why Clarisse likes you, you're really sweet deep down, aren't you?" She looked like she was going to add something else about it when she let out a girly shriek and pointed towards the couple, causing the three guys to follow her finger. Leonidas was currently kissing the knuckles of the woman as she giggled behind her hand. "Did you _see_ that? Oh it was _sooo_ _cute!_ "

Leo tapped his ear, mumbling under his breath. "And now I'm forever deaf in that ear, thanks for that."

"We should leave." Piper said suddenly, causing her boyfriend to look at her with a confused face.

"Why?" He asked. "We just got here. Leonidas is breaking the rules by leaving camp. We should make sure that he doesn't do anything-."

"Oh will you just drop it?" His girlfriend cut him off, a slightly irritated expression on her face. "He's on a _date_ , Jason. What's he gonna do? Treat her to more tea and croissants? Take her out shopping at the little shops? Buy her some ice cream when she mentions the heat? They're on a _date_ , he's _not_ plotting anything. You need to let go of your childish grudge and realize that Leonidas wouldn't hurt a fly. Look at him down there," She pointed to the large man as he sat- most likely uncomfortable on a seat half the size of his rear, at a table that was thinner than his shoulder width, drinking from a cup smaller than his hand- at the table, sat across from the woman, silently listening to as she talked, nodding along as she went. "I've never seen him so happy before, he can't stop smiling. Do you _want_ to ruin that?" After Jason didn't reply after a few seconds she nodded. "I didn't think so. Now, let's get out of here before he notices us and we ruin his date."

"But shouldn't we tell Percy that he left camp?" Jason asked as she pulled him down the sidewalk and away from the couple.

" And say what, exactly?" She asked. "That we saw him on a date? No, let's give him his privacy. Besides, _we_ broke camp rules too chasing after him. Do you want to tell Percy _that_?"

Jason didn't say anything as they headed back to camp, flew back over the wall and headed in their own directions. Chris back to his and Clarisse's apartment, Piper back to her cabin to make sure that no one was drowning the other in nail polish remover again, while Leo and Jason ran straight to Percy to tell him what they saw for completely different reasons.

oooOooo

 **(May 10, 2011 - Big House, Percy's Office)**

Percy eye ticked in mild irritation, blinking once, then twice, then again. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Jason sighed. "I _said_ , we saw Leonidas leave camp and-."

"No no no," Percy waved him off, looking to Leo that stood across the desk from him, standing next to Jason. He was practically jumping in his spot. "I _got_ all that. You saw him leave camp, so you followed him to town and saw him on a date-."

"With _the_ single most beautiful _chica_ in the world." Leo cut in helpfully.

"I _think_ I've gathered that from how you described her legs for five minutes straight, _thanks_." Percy scratched his head, shuffling the papers on his desk in an attempt to forget that he still had so much work to do. He looked back up to his friends, a look of confusion and mild irritation on his face. "I guess what I'm not understanding is, _why_ you're telling _me_?"

Jason hesitated. "...Because he broke the rules and left camp?"

Percy let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes, what time was it? Four, five? Then _why_ did it feel like his eyes were going to fall out of his skull? He looked down at the pile of papers on his desk and gave them the stink eye. He always _knew_ paperwork was evil. He looked back up to Jason with a slightly irritated face as he massaged his temple. "And you thought that you needed to burst into my office, after Amethyst _told you not to_ , that I was _busy_ , _just_ to tell me that someone went out on a date, bought flowers from an old lady and helped an elderly couple load their groceries in their car? _What_ part of that was urgent?"

He let out a breath through his nose before lightly shaking his head. "I've been awake since _three in the morning_ , Jason. And I've been sat in this office since _four_ , _trying_ to finish all of the preparations for the Games. Do you have _any_ idea how much work goes into planning this event? I have to write the rosters, make sure the courses are ready, make sure we have enough security around the camp while everyone is watching the Games, something that _no one_ wants to miss,by the way, among a _million_ other things." His tone started to turn a little harsher. "So, tell me, _what_ possessed you to come barging into my office yelling about someone _on a date_ , _interrupting_ me and _preventing_ me from getting any work done!"

Jason flinched and Leo backed up slightly, taken back. Percy had almost just yelled at them. _Percy_. That _didn't_ normally happen. Jason cleared his throat. "... Are you… _okay_ , bro?"

"No I'm _not_ okay!" His voice was just under a yell, his eyes harsh. "I'm _tired,_ hungry, have _the_ worst splitting migraine and I have less than an hour until I have to head down to the pavilion to make the daily announcements at dinner then run back up here to try to get this pile of work done so I can go home before ten!" He banged his palm on the wooden desk. "But _who_ am I kidding? I won't get out of here until _twelve_ at this rate."

The small room was silent for a full minute, the two boys watching Percy with worried expressions as he began to read through a paper in his hands. After a few more seconds Percy let out a low growl in his throat, his eyes shooting up to the two without moving his head. " _What_ are you still doing here? Go make yourselves useful somewhere else." He pointed to the door behind them. "Close the door on your way out. And apologize to Amethyst for ignoring her when she told you to leave me alone."

Jason grit his teeth, _something_ was wrong with Percy. He _never_ acted like this no matter _how_ tired or stressed he got, maybe… maybe something was happening at home? Jason knew that Percy was putting in extra hours recently since it seemed like he was always here, but he didn't know it had gotten _this_ bad. He needed to talk to Annabeth about him. Deciding to not say anything to avoid an argument, he took Leo's arm and pulled him out the door without a word, slamming it a little louder than necessary before promptly apologizing to the daughter of Iris that sat at a little desk right next to the door, her own stack of papers of her own in her hand.

Percy slumped back in his chair, _maybe_ he shouldn't've raised his voice, but he was _so stressed and tired_ at the moment that his hand was _literally_ shaking as he reached for his cup of coffee only to bring it to his lips and find it empty. Letting out a groan, he rose from his chair, his knees wobbling from the action after not being used to walk in hours, and made his way to the side of the room where a folding table was set up with a coffee maker, microwave, toaster and an assortment of paper plates, cups and plasticware. Amethyst had set it up last week so that he was able to eat in his office to cut down on his travel time to the pavilion for food. At this point he had half a mind to just set up a sleeping bag in the room too, since he rarely got any decent amount of sleep these day. His dreams had gotten worse since the other night when he caused the glass of water to explode in his sleep, a pool of dread and anxiousness sat in his stomach whenever he closed his eyes nowadays. Reaching the coffee maker he made another terrible discovery that irritated him even more: he was out of coffee.

Letting out another groan, he tossed the foam cup on the table and made his way back to his desk, collapsing in his chair. After massaging his eyes, he looked at the room around him, the walls lined with Celestial Bronze, not wanting to do any work at the moment but _knowing_ that he was only delaying the inevitable. He was in the small room that used to hold the only computer and phone in camp, except it had now been turned into his own private office after he kept getting bothered so much when he tried to get any work done in the Council meeting room. The room was insulated by Celestial Bronze, meaning it was soundproof and one of the most secure places in camp, so Percy _assumed_ that he would have all the peace and quiet he could ask for when he took the room for his own. Some people on the Council had suggested that he just use Chiron's office, but Percy couldn't make himself move into the room. Doing so just felt… _wrong_ , like he was… _replacing_ the old centaur. _Even if_ Chiron was on Olympus with the gods, that didn't mean he wasn't coming back, so Percy ordered that his office and apartment not be touched. He would come back one day, Percy knew, he had to, Percy couldn't run this place by himself.

Letting out another breath, he reached over to grab the medium sized handheld radio- something he used to call a walkie talkie as a kid- and brought it to his face and pressed the button. "Amethyst?" He called into the radio, it was just an old, two-way radio that Chiron used to use to keep in touch with the retired campers that helped during events or capture the flag, but recently it had been used to allow Percy to talk to the daughter of Iris without either of them having to leave their seats. A half second later a voice answered.

"Yes, Percy?"

"Did Jason apologize for barging in here?" He asked, slumping back in his large chair, running a hand through his hair.

"He did." She answered calmly. "Is there anything you needed?" Since he took over as the head of camp, Amethyst had been helping him in the Big House, ensuring that he had the papers he needed, kept to his schedule and prevented people from interrupting him as he worked. One sleepless night in bed it occurred to him that she had practically been turned into his secretary, she even made a deal with Fleecy to receive and answer all of his IM's because it seemed like _everyone and their mother_ needed to contact him about every little thing. One day he received a total of seventeen IM's and it was also then he had had enough on them. When he told Amethyst about his realization the next morning when she arrived to start work for the day an hour or so after he arrived, she chuckled to herself and said it was fate, because both of her moms were secretaries so she was just following in their footsteps. She also reassured him that she didn't mind being his secretary and actually found it kind of fun. That thought made him groan, _he had a secretary_. At _eighteen_. What was he, a flippin' CEO? Gods kill him now.

"Can you call Leonidas to my office, please? I need to speak with him."

The reply was slightly hesitant, Percy only noticing because Amethyst was _always_ quick to reply. "I'm sorry, Percy, but did you say to _call_ Leonidas up here? I thought that you didn't want any visitors?"

"I didn't," He sighed. "But Jason and Leo told me something and I need to speak with Leonidas about it. So, can you IM him and tell him to come here?"

"Of course, boss." She replied, calling him 'boss' in a joking matter, causing Percy to slightly roll his eyes, not having the energy to fully roll them. "Sorry if I'm not supposed to ask, but did Leonidas do something wrong? Should we tell the Council?" Since Amethyst was a member of the Council as well, it seemed like she was concerned that something had gone wrong or something.

"No," Percy reassured her. "At least, not really. I'll talk to him about it and if I have to, I'll tell the Council. But if what Jason told me is true then we won't bother. It was nothing."

"Alright then, I'll IM him right away."

"Thanks, Amethyst." He told her before putting the radio down, picking it up a second later. "Oh, and Amethyst?"

"Yeah boss?"

"I'm out of coffee."

"I'll bring in a fresh pot at once." She happily replied. Percy didn't understand it, but it seemed like that girl was unable to frown or ever get upset. He felt bad having her doing things for him, he really did, but if he was honest with himself, he _needed_ the help and she was always more than happy to help.

"Thank you. And one more thing, take the rest of the night off once you do." He told her, rubbing his strained eyes. "I know we agreed that you'd work after dinner but you've been here long enough. Go home and get some rest."

Her reply came two seconds later. "If you're _sure_ , Percy. Then I will. I'll head back to my cabin after I get your coffee and get a hold of Leonidas." The call ended and Percy thought she was going to put the radio down, but the radio clicked after another second. "But make sure that _you_ get some rest too, Percy. You've been here all day, make sure that you aren't pushing yourself too much. You're just human, more or less, don't send yourself to an early grave just because you're not taking care of yourself."

He let out a long breath before replying. "I'll be sure to do that." He lied. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is. Don't forget about your… appointment with Katie tomorrow after dinner on the ground floor."

Percy let out a long breath, he had _completely_ forgotten about that. Annabeth had talked him into attending _one_ session with Katie, she'd kill him if he didn't go. He was already dreading it. "...I won't." He said after a few seconds. "Thanks again, Amethyst. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, boss man." He could imagine her smiling to herself, thinking she's funny. "Make sure you get some rest, I don't want to see you in your office before I get here at seven. You could use the sleep." With that the girl ended the conversation, calling Leonidas as Percy got as much work done in the short amount of time as possible.

oooOooo

Several minutes later the radio on his desk chirped right before Amethyst's voice came over it. "Leonidas is here, Percy. Shall I send him in?"

Slowly grabbing the radio because he honestly didn't have the energy to lift a finger, he replied. "Yes, thank you, Amethyst. I'll see you in the morning."

"Not _too early_ , I hope." Was the girl's reply. Putting the radio down Percy inwardly debated installing an intercom but then instantly recoiled, did he _want_ to become 'CEO Percy'? No, he did not, the radio was fine.

A few seconds later his door opened and a giant man entered, looking around the room curiously before turning to Percy. "Your uh… secretary said you wanted to see me?" Leonidas asked as he made his way into the small room and stood in front of the desk.

Percy groaned, rubbing his eyes. " _Please_ don't call her a 'secretary', I _know_ she basically is, but I never _wanted_ a secretary." Leonidas looked confused for a few seconds as he waited for Percy to speak, he pointed to a chair along the wall. "Oh, sorry, take a seat."

Once Leonidas was crammed on top of the tiny metal and plastic folding chair, Percy pushed some his papers to the side so he'd have some space clear to rest his elbows. "I'll be honest, I'm tired and it's almost dinnertime, so I'm gonna keep this short so we can get back to other, more important things." He paused to rest his elbows on the desk, too tired to be able to do two things at once. After letting out a sigh he started. "Jason told me that you snuck out of camp." Leonidas instantly stiffened, but so slightly that Percy barely noticed in his tired state. He continued. "Now, normally that would mean I'd have to think up some punishment for you and run an investigation into what you were doing… _but_ he also told me that he followed you and saw what you were doing." Percy brought his eyes to look right at Leonidas', a small smile forming on his face after a few seconds. "Congrats, by the way, Leo told me that she was beautiful, _a lot_."

Leonidas let out a held breath, a smile forming on his own face as he rubbed the back of his neck. "...They saw that, huh?" Percy nodded lazily. "I- I _wasn't_ planning on sneaking out, I _swear_ , but… something came up."

"What's her name?" Percy asked. "I guess that _she_ was what came up?"

Leonidas hesitated for a second but dropped his hand, answering. "Emily." He told him. "She and I, we, have been seeing one another for a few years now, since I was sixteen." He nodded as he sighed. "And you're right, she's what came up. You see, she knows of the Greek world, but she's not a demigod or anything, she's…"

"Clear Sighted?" Percy asked, supplying the words. "Like Rachel, our Oracle?"

The large man nodded. "Yeah, she is. We met years ago after I had been attacked by a large horde of Monsters, I was… on the point of dying and she… saved me. She found me in the woods and nursed me back to health. And since then we have been together."

"That's nice." Percy smiled, genuinely happy for his friend. "I didn't know you were the kind of guy to date, though." He waved his hand. "I mean- not that I don't think you _could_ or anything. It's just that-."

"I don't seem like the type?" Leonidas asked, chuckling. "I'd have to agree with you, brother. For some time I _didn't_ want to pursue _any_ type of relationship, but when I met her, everything changed."

Percy sensed that something had happened in his past, hesitantly he asked his question. "Did uh, it sounds like _something_ happened. You don't have to say anything, but I could hear it in your voice."

Leonidas let out a breath, taping his hands on his leg. "When I was fifteen, I ran across a family in Kansas and ended up spending a month with them. They- they had a daughter… Mary." He then proceeded to tell Percy about his month with the Johnsons, including how he met Mary and fell for her, only for her and her family to be killed right in front of him. Once he was done, he looked to Percy. "I know that years have passed and I'm with someone else, but I _still_ have feelings for her. I _love_ Emily, don't get me wrong, I want to marry her one day soon, but I still wonder 'what if?', what if she _hadn't_ died? My life would be _drastically_ different, my goals, ambitions, dreams, would _all_ have changed."

"I know what you mean." Percy said, surprising himself. "You know I love Annabeth, more than life itself, but I had feelings for someone before her, Rachel, our Oracle, actually." He admitted, remembering the time before he and Annabeth got together and when he and Rachel were almost a couple for a summer before the Battle of Manhattan. "We both had feelings for the other, but I was oblivious as usual, as well as oblivious that Annabeth liked me. I used to think as I stayed up late at night, what if I had gotten together with her? Or Calypso?"

"Calypso?" Leonidas asked, his eyes widening. "Do you mean the _Titaness_ Calypso?"

Percy nodded, a small smile forming on his lips as he remembered his time on her island. "Yeah, that one. Since you know her name, I'm guessing you know about her curse?" Leonidas nodded. "Then you know that it wouldn't have worked. I was destined to leave her and return to the love of my life, Annabeth. But I've often wondered, what if? What if I stayed on that island with her? Lived in peace on a beautiful island with an even more beautiful girl? I wouldn't have had to fulfill a prophecy, battle Titans, have my memories stolen by Hera, go to New Rome, get thrown in _Tartarus_ , or deal with _anything_ I've had to in my life since then." He looked up at the ceiling, wondering what the girl was doing right now. Was she still sitting on that island waiting for him to return? Someone else? Had she given up hope? Had the gods actually granted her freedom like he asked? He didn't know, and he probably never would. Shaking his head slightly, he faced Leonidas. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I know what you're talking about, but sometimes, we have to wait to meet our true loves. I did with Annabeth, gods know I waited to tell her how I felt, probably a little _too long_ , but I did."

Leonidas was silent for a minute as he processed what he heard. After looking up to Percy he continued. "Emily IM'd me this morning, I taught her how to years ago after she had to return home and we couldn't see each other." He explained, his voice faltering like he was remembering something he didn't wish to. "Her father… died two years ago, here in New York. And it's close to the anniversary and she-."

"You _don't_ have to say anymore." Percy cut him off, offering him a kind smile. "She needed you and you went to her. I _don't_ need to know anything else, I understand." He reassured the older man. "How was she? I mean, with today and all?"

Leonidas let out a breath. "She and her father were… never close. He… was a well known, powerful man, but cruel. Worst than any Monster I have ever slain, if only I could have run him through with my blade." His eyes hardened as he remembered the man, Percy thinking that he must have _hated_ the man since he didn't think Leonidas was a violent type of person. "I never got to meet him, but she, Emily, told me about him. He did _terrible_ things. Abused his name and power, hurt a _lot_ of people… his children. Her mother, a wonderful woman that I wish I could have met, died many years ago when Emily was still young." Percy eyes widened, sorry for this woman named Emily, but also for Leonidas, no one should have to go through that.

"She's all alone now, her entire family is gone." Leonidas continued. "Her mother, brother and sister all died years ago, and now her father… she's all alone." He bit his lip and his jaw tightened, one of the only times Percy had seen him this worked up, he must really care for this girl .

"But at least she has you." Percy reassured him. "You sound like you're in love to me."

Leonidas wore a smile, though it didn't meet his eyes and Percy inwardly wondered if he had said something wrong. When he spoke, his voice was so low and his eyes looked to the ceiling above them, making Percy wonder if he meant to say it outloud. "...Yes, but not for long."

Percy hesitated, not knowing if he should say something or not, but deciding to try to understand what his friend meant to in order to try to help him. "...What do you mean, 'not for long'?"

Leonidas stiffened in his chair and Percy instantly realized that he was _not_ meant to hear that. After clenching his fists and shaking his head, he answered, his voice low and hollow, like he had almost lost all hope and none of his usual cheerfulness existed, like it was just an act he put on all the time to make himself seem more put together for everyone around him, something that made Percy wonder _jus_ t _how bad of life_ Leonidas really had. Wonder what kind of person he really was if his happy nature was just a facade. "... _Nothing_ lasts forever." He finally said after a few minutes. "We're _not_ immortal… life, _our bodies_ ," He clenched one fists and held his other hand up to his eyes, examining it like he could see something Percy didn't. " _Have limits_ , and soon, they'll be reached." He suddenly stood up in his chair and turned to the door. "I'm sorry, brother, but I _can't_ talk about this anymore."

" _Wait_ ," Percy called out, the man stopping, his massive hand on the doorknob. "...Is something, is Emily going to…?" He didn't know how to phrase it in a way that didn't sound tactless, but with what Leonidas told him about her family, it made him wonder if the reason _why_ Emily's family died was _also_ the reason for Leonidas' heartbreak. Was she terminal? "Is she going to… _die?_ "

"In time. She grows weaker by the day. I had hoped to cheer her up today." He answered, his voice low and rough, like he was trying to hold himself together. He gave Percy a look over his shoulder as he opened the door, his face hardened into a mask of forced calmness. "And unless I can fulfil my goals, we will _both_ be forced to live without the other for eternity, _never_ allowed to see each other again, even… in death." He paused when a small- blink and you miss it- drop rolled across his cheek, falling to the floor. He sniffled briefly. "I ask that you don't tell the others what you heard, brother. They… I- I _don't_ want them to know that I… about _what_ will happen if I fail." He stepped one foot out the door but Percy called out and stopped him again.

" _What_ goal, Leonidas?" He asked to the man's back, Leonidas not turning to face him. "Maybe- maybe _I_ can help. I have resources, I know people, people who can _help_ , satyrs, nymphs, healers, gods, maybe they can-."

"You cannot fight time, Perseus." Leonidas cut him off, his voice soft and subdued. "Nor can you stop Fate, gods _know_ I-." He cut himself off quickly before starting again. "But… I _appreciate_ the offer, you- you don't know _what_ it means to me. But this road I walk, I must walk alone… I see my destiny in front of me and I must run towards it in order to achieve it… and live."

With that, the giant man closed the door and left Percy to slump in his seat, silently sitting still for nearly an hour, thinking about what Leonidas had said. Emily was going to _die?_ Her family had all died in the last several years it seemed, did they have a terminal disease that caused their deaths? If so, then what was it? Did she _really_ have to die, could it not be prevented? The love of his life? After the first girl he loved died in front of him? And he, Leonidas, was going to die too from what it sounded like. _Why?_ _What_ goal did Leonidas have? _What_ was his destiny? And _why_ couldn't he let people help him? Percy would have sat thinking these things over and over in his mind all night if he hadn't eyed the clock and realized he was already late for dinner. Letting out a curse, he rushed down to the pavilion to give his daily announcements to the campers before heading home, suddenly feeling like he was going to collapse from exhaustion and falling asleep the second his head hit his pillow.

oooOooo

 **(AN: How was that last scene? Let me**

 **know in a Review. I had trouble with it.**

 **But don't worry, we'll get answers soon)**

oooOooo

 **(May 11, 2011 - Big House, Katie's Trauma Therapy Meeting Room aka Old Storeroom)**

It was after dinner the next day and Percy headed down from his office to the first floor of the Big House and made his way into the old store room that Katie had renovated into the Trauma Therapy room back way back before the Battle of Manhattan. He had been in here once before, back when he helped clear the junk to the side so that they had room to sit, there hadn't been a meeting going on at the time but walking into the room now, it was just as he expected. An array of metal folding chairs sat in a medium sized circle at the center of the room, and if the number of chairs folded up against the wall were anything to go by, then _a lot more_ people than he thought attended the meetings. But something a few paces away caught his eye, a folding table setup with an assortment of multi colored doughnuts- no doubt baked by Katie herself that morning- but the sugary baked goods weren't what made him walk over to the table, it was the large pot of coffee.

As soon as his hand touched the machine a voice called from behind him, scaring and causing him to spill the hot liquid on his skin. "Put the coffee down, Percy."

"Wha- Ah! Ow!" Percy bit his tongue as the delicious liquid washed down his arm. After grabbing a handful of napkins and running them over his skin, he turned around to find the person who had snuck up on him. "Katie? I nearly spilled the whole pot. What's the big idea?"

The eldest daughter of Demeter had the audacity to look amused as she watched him soak up the coffee from his skin. "I'm sorry, honestly, but if you would have been paying attention then you would have seen me sitting right by the door."

Percy blinked. "You were sitting right there?" He asked, not knowing how he missed her. He must be more tired than he thought, he was usually more aware of his surroundings than that. "You mean you didn't just sit down?"

She shook her head once, smiling. "Nope. I've been here for fifteen minutes, waiting for _you_."

Percy eyed the clock, he was hoping she didn't notice that he was late. Honestly he was just hoping that she just didn't remember that he was supposed to be there, but no such luck. "Sorry, I got held up with some work in my office."

"It's no problem," She told him, gesturing to the ring of chairs. "How about you take a seat? Feel free to sit wherever you want, but leave the coffee there."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to fill another cup. "Why?"

"Because I'm told that you're having trouble sleeping." She told him simply, no doubt getting that information from Annabeth. "And seeing as it's almost seven, it's too late for coffee. If you drink it now then you won't be able to sleep tonight."

Her logic made sense, Percy had to admit, but that _didn't_ mean he had to like it. Putting down the coffee, he made his way to the circle of chairs and sat at a chair one space away from Katie, feeling that sitting right next to her would be uncomfortable, this way he could look the other way and didn't have to see her watching him. After he was settled she started. "Now, Percy, I want to start by saying that you have _nothing_ to worry about. Annabeth told me that you were worried about your inability to sleep getting out. But _nothing_ leaves this room. " She told him, looking right at him while he looked straight ahead, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "What we say in here," She gestured around her. "Stays in here. I won't tell anyone what I heard, I won't judge, I won't force my opinions down your throat, I'm just here to listen to you and offer some advice if I think you need it. But mostly, I'm just here so that you have someone to talk to."

Percy let out a sigh, still looking forward, his body slouched in his seat. "Then let me start by saying that I don't need to be here. The _only_ reason why I'm here is because Annabeth wants me here."

If Katie was put off by his tone she didn't show it. Her smile didn't falter as she replied. "Then how about you tell me why you think Annabeth wants you to be here?" Percy opened his mouth but she held up her hand calmly, indicating that she wasn't finished. "Not why _you_ don't think you need to be here, but why _she_ thinks you need to be here." She then gestured for him to speak.

Crossing his arms over his chest he answered. "...She's worried because I have trouble sleeping."

"Oh?" She brought up her pen, holding it above a notepad. "And why do you think that is?"

"Can we _not_ do the psycho bullshit, _please_?" Percy nearly snapped, his hand hitting his leg. Katie's smile faltered slightly as she watched him, most likely surprised that he yelled at her as he had never done that before in all the years they'd known each other. " _Sorry_ ," He dragged his fingers through his hair. "I didn't mean to yell."

Her kind smile returned in full force. "That's alright, you're stressed, I can tell." She put her pen and notepad down, correctly guessing that they were what made him snap. "Then let's just talk about what got you upset, okay? Why don't you want to be here?"

Percy let out a breath, uncrossing his arms and sitting up a little straighter. "I just… don't like therapists." He said before turning to her for the first time, waving his hand. "I mean, not _you_ , I like you just fine. I…"

"Have had some bad experiences with them?" She guessed correctly, tilting her head slightly.

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

"I didn't know that you've had a therapist before."

"Does it not mention that in your files?" He asked a little rudely.

She only shook her head at his anger, looking down to the notepad that sat on the floor. "I don't have _any_ files on you, Percy." She told him honestly. "I just use the notepad to make sure I remember everything you said." She tapped her head, a slight smile on her face. "I have so many patients it's hard to remember everything sometimes."

Percy faltered slightly. "How- how many people come here?" He asked, once again looking at the extra chairs in the room. "How many sessions do you do a day?"

"It depends on the day, since different people see me for different reasons or for different groups, but on average I have at least one to four groups a day."

"And how many people come see you?"

She raised her finger to her chin in thought for a few seconds before answering. "Let's see, last I checked I have a total of twenty seven people who see me weekly. Not all of them come every day of course, but at least once a week. Some groups meet more than others. And some people just come for a single session. But I have twenty seven people right now."

Percy's heart dropped, he had _no_ idea so many people at camp were having problems. He knew that some people had lost some close friends or loved ones during the last two battles, but he didn't expect _that_ many. He looked up to Katie. "I- I had no idea… Why are they all here?" He asked softly. "They can't _all_ be here because of the Third Titan war, right?"

She lightly shook her head. "No," She started, sitting back in her chair slightly. "But a good number of them are. _A lot_ of campers lost people that day. It was a hard day for us all. But to answer your question, everyone comes here for a different reason. Some people lost someone, others can't eat, some can't sleep." Her eyes looked at Percy for a second before removing them. "Some people are having problems at home, some _had_ problems at home and are still dealing with them. While _some_ people, and I can't say who, haven't told me why they're here but come every week just to listen, never sharing or saying anything." She turned to him, offering a reassuring smile. "You _don't_ have to talk if you don't want to, Percy, but I'd like to hear why you don't like therapists. Like I said earlier, I didn't know that you had one before, _not_ because I have it written down, but because you hadn't _told_ me before."

Percy let out a breath, not answering for nearly a full minute. "...I had a therapist back in fifth grade for an entire year. I don't tell a lot of people that, okay? Out of everyone at camp, only Annabeth knows."

"If you don't mind me asking, Percy, would you tell me about it? If I know why you didn't like that therapist then I'll know what not to do and be able to better help you."

 _Why does this girl have to be so helpful and concerned?_ Percy thought to himself. _Why did it have to be Katie? I'd rather be here with Clarisse, she'd slap me on the back, tell me to get over it and send me on my way and I'd be able to get some work done._ After letting out a sigh and clearing his thoughts, he answered. "I told you about Gabe, right?"

Katie's unwavering gaze faltered for a nano second, she was one of Percy's oldest friends at camp, so she _knew_ Gabe. "Somewhat, I know that you don't like talking about him often, but you've told me a few things."

"Well, it was because of that bastard that I got put in therapy for a year." He told her, remembering the days before camp. "I got in a lot of trouble at school, but you knew that, I would also pick fights from time to time. One of my teachers at the time thought I was seeking out for attention of something like that, so he pulled me aside one day and asked me about my home life and I _stupidly_ told him about Gabe, I don't even remember _what_ I said it was so long ago, but before I knew it I was thrown in the therapist's office at school and forced to sit there for a year."

"Why don't you like therapists though?" She asked. "Just because you were forced to be there?"

"No, because after a _year_ of sitting in that room _nothing_ changed." His tone was a little sharp, he didn't mean to get upset at Katie, she was one of his closest friends, he was just on edge a lot these days and was easily irritated. "I talked to that lady for a year but nothing happened. Gabe still drank all day and came home wasted, my mom still never smiled, or when she did they weren't real, and I still had problems at school because I was different. It was only when I was twelve when I realized _why_ I was different."

Katie let all of this sink in for a minute, looking contemplative. "You don't like therapists because you don't think that they do anything." She stated, fully understanding him. "And you think that you're wasting your time sitting here with me." Again it wasn't a question, she knew.

"Well when you say it like that it makes me sound like the bad guy."

"I don't think that, Percy." She smiled reassuringly. "I get where you're coming from. When I started this I honestly didn't think that I'd be able to help anyone, _gods_ , I didn't think anyone was going to _sign up_. But the day after I opened this group I had one person, _one person_ , come to me asking if they could talk. And do you know what happened?"

"You discovered your life's calling?"

"No," She answered, shaking her head lightly, smiling before it instantly dropped, replaced with a hurt look. "I learned that one of _my friends_ , someone I had known and spent time with for _years_ , was cutting their wrists." Percy eyes widened as he faced Katie, her own usually bright eyes dimmed. "And that this person had felt like they had no one in the world to talk to and had been doing it for months. I nearly burst into tears when I heard what they were thinking of doing," She paused briefly to dab her eye with a finger. "This person, who we _all_ thought was strong and kind and warm and open, was really just putting up a front to help everyone else. To hide that they didn't know what to do. And do you know what happened?"

"..." Percy had no words, he couldn't even shake his head.

"That person and I sat in this room all night, talking. _Just talking_." She smiled to herself like she was trying to reassure herself that everything was alright now. "We talked about our friends, hobbies, our favorite foods, color, anything. And after this person didn't want to talk anymore I just told them about myself, how I had lost people too and how I, even though I had set up this group, _didn't_ know everything. I _didn't_ have any answers and I _didn't_ have everything figured out. Do you know what I learned after sitting and talking to that person for almost five hours?"

"...I- no." He admitted.

"That some people just need someone there for them, to listen to them, or, if they don't want to talk, someone there to talk to them." She played with her hair absentmindedly. "And do you know what? That one session didn't solve this person's problems, it didn't make them not miss their loved ones anymore, it didn't do anything big like change their life or anything, but do you know what it _did_ do? What this person did after they left?" Percy shook his head, just letting her tell her story, not able to interrupt. "This person thanked me for listening and went to their friend that they knew was having problems and talked to them. Then two days later when we met back up, this person told me that their friend was alive that day because they had enough strength to do for them what I did for them: listen and talk." Percy's eyes widened, he had no idea anyone at camp was think of… his heart sunk even more. Katie's smile tried it's best to stay on her face as she wiped a tear away. "Then they both came the next time and every week now until today, more than a _year_ later, they both come to group to share, _always_ offering their support to the other people. Talking with them, listening to them, crying with them, whatever they need. I've heard from _so many_ people how these two have helped them, and it always brings tears to my eyes remembering where they started from." She turned away slightly to wipe her eyes, giving Percy an apologetic look once she faced him again. "Sorry, I don't normally cry in meetings, I usually try my best to stay professional. I… I've never told anyone that before."

"It's okay," He told her, understanding. "I get it."

After composing herself, she continued. "And do you know what I did after these two people came to me, way back then?" She asked, Percy only shaking his head again. "I went to Chiron and told him some of what happened, nothing specific and I didn't give any names, but I asked him if I could continue my group so that one day, I could talk to _everyone_ at camp. And with tears in his eyes, he gave me this room to use for as long as I needed." She looked around the boxes of storage, armor, dusty bins of junk older than her and smiled fondly at it. "This room is a piece of junk, but it's ours. Somewhere we can all come to talk or to listen. To help one another." She smiled to Percy, the smile finally reaching her eyes. "And do you know what happened then?"

"No."

Her smile widened. "I found my life's calling." She answered, echoing his own words from earlier. "After the Battle of Manhattan and the Third Titanomachy, this room has seen more people than ever. At one time or another, I've had every person in camp in one of these seats. And I'd like to think that after they got up out of that seat, that I helped them in some way or another."

"The mandatory therapy sessions after the war, I remember that." Percy nodded. "Everyone had to attend one."

"And you still didn't want to talk back then either. From what I recall you just ate all my doughnuts and drank half a pitcher of coffee." She smiled, crossing her legs in front of her. "And I'll say the same thing now as I did back then, you _don't_ have to talk if you don't want to, but the first step is always admitting that something is bothering you. You can act all tough and manly all you want to make the rest of the camp think you're this perfect leader figure so that they can have someone to look up to all you want, but to _me_ , in _here_ , you _don't_ have to keep that act up. We can talk about your problems sleeping, your arguments with Annabeth, she told me about some of the tension between you two recently, or we can just talk about what you did today. We can start wherever you want."

Percy took it all in. He _knew_ he had a problem, but admitting it was harder than he thought. He couldn't remember a time that he had been this _angry_ , or a time where he snapped at so many people, specifically Annabeth. Letting out a long breath, he started. "I'm overwhelmed." He admitted, biting his cheek, drumming his fingers on his knee as he looked around the room, trying to not focus on her eyes as she watched him. "I'm angrier now than I ever remember. I have this… _pit_ in my stomach. I have this feeling of… _dread_ and _anxiousness_ all the time, irritating me, driving me crazy, keeping me awake, like- like every bone in my body, every muscle, every… _fiber of my being_ is constantly on fire and shooting me with electricity. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't focus on anything and I can't tell anyone because then they'll say it's the stress and they won't let me lead camp! They'll make me step down!"

Katie gave him a cautious look. "You feel that the others in the Council will take your spot?" She asked, sounding a little confused. "You _want_ to lead the camp?"

" _Gods no!_ " He yelled suddenly, throwing himself to the edge of his seat before sitting back in his chair and giving her an apologetic look. His voice turned lower, a little softer but Katie could still hear the tension in it. "I don't _want_ to lead camp." He admitted. "This job, this _responsibility_ that I have now?" He looked at her. "It's _too much_."

He was quiet for a minute before continuing, Katie not saying anything and only watching him. "Seventy six." He said under his breath before looking back up at her. "I have _seventy six_ campers to look after. Seventy six people to make sure are fed, protected, looked after, taught, trained, clothed… I'm… I'm _not_ Chiron, I- I can't do this by myself." He admitted, biting his lip and lightly hitting his fist against his leg, looking off to the side. "But if I don't, then _who_ will? I heard how bad the camp got after Chiron left, I _can't_ let that happen. This camp is my home… and the campers are my family, I _won't_ let them down. So if I have to endure some sleepless nights and headaches then I'll _gladly_ endure them if it means that _everyone else_ is taken care of."

Katie reached across the empty seat in between them and put her hand over his, looking up to him with a reassuring smile when he faced her. "You have _always_ put others before yourself, Percy. That's what I admire about you…" She lightly shook her head, squeezing his hand. "But you have to make sure that _you're_ taken care of too. We, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Nico, Clarisse, me, _everyone_ at camp is here for you." She told him, tilting her head to the side slightly. "Let _us_ take care of _you_ for once, Percy. You've given _so_ much for this camp, let us return the favor." She let go of his hand after patting it a few times, pulling back and sitting up in her seat.

"You're right," She continued. "We're a family, and in this family we look after each other. We balance each other, protect each other, are there for one another when they need us, that sense of loyalty you have for us, Percy? Well we feel the same for you. So let _us_ help _you_."

Percy let out a breath through his nose before nodding to himself and looking to her. "...Okay." He said softly, barely above a whisper. "You're right… I… _haven't_ been thinking about myself." He turned his chair so that it was facing her, giving her his full attention. "What do you think I should do?"

She smiled, turning her chair to face his as well. "I'm glad you asked, Percy, I'm happy to help." She told him honestly, happy to see him making progress so quickly. "Let's start with your dreams, tell me what you think they mean, why you think you're being shown them. Then, after that we can find a way to lighten your workload. Divvy up the work among the Council so that it's not all on you. Then, if you want, we can find something to help take your mind off of the work, something fun. Tell me, are you going to be competing in the Games this year?" He shook his head, telling her that he didn't think he had the time and that as a judge that he didn't think it would be fair for him to enter. She nodded before continuing. "Well, I think that the Games would be a great opportunity to get you out of the office for a few days. I think that just letting go and having fun with your friends would be good for you."

He nodded. "Alright, if you think it'll help. I'll try it."

She smiled. "Great, then let's get started. If we don't finish tonight then you can always come back tomorrow, or whenever you have the time or need to talk. My door is always open, well, not this one," She smiled as she looked to the door. "Since Will uses it to train the healers from noon to three, but you know what I mean. I'll always be here to talk if you need it."

He fully smiled for the first time all day. "Thanks. I'll be sure to."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **How was that last part with Percy and Katie? I hoped that I handled it right, stuff like PTSD, depression, self harm, suicide, are touchy subjects and are the hardest to write, but sometimes they just need to be explored. I hope I did it justice. This'll probably be the last session we'll see, but that doesn't mean that it's not happening off-page. You guys have to remember that time is going by, it's been just over a month since Percy returned to camp and we'll be getting another big jump soon.**

 **On an equally as somber note, what did you think about the Leonidas section with him talking to Percy? I won't give anything away because I don't want to spoil anything since we'll be getting some answers soon, but I'd like to talk about it.**

 **So, Leonidas has another girlfriend, what do you all think about that? I'll tell you something, I didn't have Mary planned until I wrote that chapter, I have the entire story planned out and I normally stick to it. I had his current girlfriend, Emily, planned to be his only love interest, but I thought that it would add stuff to his character for him to lose people close to him since he wasn't close to his mom and has never met his dad. Let me know what you think about Emily. Just to clarify, so some people don't think he's lying, what Leonidas said was true, Emily is dying and if he doesn't find a solution soon, they'll both die. But no more, I don't want to give spoilers.**

 **Can I ask something? I've heard from a few people that they apparently didn't read the Prequels and haven't been reading the Leonidas backstory chapters, only skimming them. I'm not trying to call anyone out, since I already talked to someone who told me about it, but are some of you guys not liking Leonidas? I've only had one person say that they had a problem with him and I figured that if someone thought it then other people had to but weren't saying anything. If you don't like him for** _ **any**_ **reason,** _ **please**_ **, let me know, I want to know why. I won't get upset or anything, I just want him and this story to be as good as possible.**

 **You guys all know the drill by now, follow, favorite, Review and all that jazz. I'll see you guys around Wednesday for the bonus chapter. Ch7 will be out the following Saturday, March 2nd.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas likes tall, slender women with a regal aura around them and a lively, down to earth personality. They just can't be a pretty face, however, since he is highly resistant to all forms of Charmspeak and love magic as well as batting ones eyelashes. She must be smart, kind and a genuine person as well. He's also secretly a sucker for long legs.

 **Bonus Fun Fact:** Mika, the daughter of Palaestra, the goddess of Wrestling, is named after R. Mika from Street Fighter. She has long, blonde hair like her and isn't afraid of showing off skin either. If you want an idea of what Mika looks like, picture a combination of R. Mika from SF and the famous female wrestler Chyna. Chyna is where Mika gets the appearance of looking like an Amazon Warrior from. Also, if it wasn't obvious, Leo has a huge crush on her but she'd rather date a smelly gym sock.

 **QOTD: '** What do you think Leonidas' goal is? What is he trying to accomplish? What is wrong with Emily and how is he going to save her and himself?'


	14. Bonus Chapter: The Games!

Bonus Chapter: The Games!

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! I'm here with a bonus chapter in between regular uploads. Before any of you click off this story let me tell you that this is NOT a filler chapter. It retains to the story as a whole and actually includes the introductions of two major points of this story. Look closely and you might notice them. A heads up for this chapter, I wasn't able to cover most of the events simply because I didn't have the time. These Games are also very different than our Modern Olympics so don't get confused.**

 **Don't forget to vote on my Poll for my next PJ Pertemis story.**

 **Thanks to those of you who sent good wishes for my mom. I'm happy to say that she is out of the ER and back home. It was just a scare but she had an MRI done and we don't know the test results yet, but we're all praying she's clear.**

 **This past week or so I've had the highest number of Reviews and PM's saying that they either didn't like this story or Leonidas. It surprised me, I thought that by now only people who liked the story were reading it. Not trying to be rude to those people, btw, I already replied to all of them. But I have a question for you guys, are you liking the story so far? If not then let me know why and I'll reply and do my best to find a solution or fix it in order to make this story as best as possible.**

 **One last thing, a little clarification about Leonidas' powers and strength because a lot of peoples' problems with him are that he's stronger than Percy. All demigods have Abilities that can be sorted into two categories: General Abilities(being increased strength, speed, stamina and durability above those of a regular human) and Demigod Abilities(being things like water, fire, earth manipulation, etc.). Percy has increased General Abilities above those of regular demigods because he's a son of one of the Big Three along with having the Curse of Achilles. But Leonidas on the other hand doesn't have water, fire, earth manipulation or any Demigod Abilities like that. His Demigod Abilities** _ **ARE**_ **his additional titanic strength, speed, stamina and durability. Other demigods like Clarisse, Mika and some Hephaestus kids have further increased strength as one of their Demigod Abilities because their parents are known/related to strength. It could also be implied that Jason and Percy have further increased strength as a DA since their fathers are known for their strength. I hope that makes sense to you guys, Leonidas is so strong because his Demigod Abilities are** _ **literally**_ **just his increased physical abilities. If you have any more question then let me know and I'll be sure to answer them while making sure not to spoil anything.**

* * *

Bonus Chapter: The Games!

 **(May 20, 2011 - Camp Half-Blood)**

The ancient games of Olympia, the predecessor to all number of sporting events in the entire course of human history, now known throughout the entire world as the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are the highest and most prestigious level of sports competition any athlete can ever have the honor to compete in. Every year, tens of thousands of Greeks would gather from all across the ancient world to spectate the single largest events of the time, for the chance to witness the champions and legends of the age. The Olympic athletes. The Games were the greatest chances for not only fame and fortune, but honor as well. And it was that honor- not to forget some nice bragging rights- that the demigods of Camp Half-Blood competed for.

Unlike the rest of the modern world, the campers tried their best to hold true to the ancient games, only changing certain aspects to help approve upon the godly games. Such as allowing both males and females to participate for the chance to honor their cabin and parent with victory. Another change the demigods made was removing the tradition of having the Games every four years and holding them every summer to allow the young campers more opportunities to participate before they either turned eighteen and left camp or died in a horrifyingly painful and gruesome death.

It was the first morning of the Games and the entire camp was already up and preparing before the sun even cleared the horizon. Like in the ages past, the competitors prayed to the gods for victory, or more specifically, their parents. Since some gods may not wish to bless a child of one of their competitors, but some gods, like Zeus who the Games were dedicated to and Nike, the goddess of victory, were prayed to and given more offerings in those five days than any other time of the year. But Percy wasn't currently praying to the king of the gods or the goddess of victory to bless his performances today, he was currently in his and Annabeth's apartment waiting for the aforementioned girl to get out of the bathroom so he could brush his teeth and throw some deodorant on before heading down to the arena to help set up for the opening ceremony.

"Annabeth?" He called as he softly knocked on the door. "You uh… doing okay in there?"

Her answer came a few seconds later, her voice a little tense. "...Why do you ask?"

Percy shrugged to himself. "Just because you've been there for fifteen minutes." He leaned against the wall lazily, still tired from catching up on sleep. An idea popped into his head. "Wait, you're not getting ready, are you?" He asked, a little confused, as far as he knew she said that she'd let him get ready first since he had to be at the arena before her. "If you are it's not a problem, but if you're just doing your makeup or something can I grab my toothbrush and deodorant?" It wasn't uncommon for them to get ready for the day together, because of their tiny apartment only having one bathroom, sometimes it felt like they were climbing over the other in front of the tiny sink and mirror as she did her makeup and hair and as he brushed his teeth and shaved his face. It was completely normal, becoming almost like a tradition for them over the last year or so living together, so he wasn't expecting her to yell out when his hand gripped the doorknob. "Can I-?"

"Don't come in!" Her voice was sudden, causing him to let go of the doorknob and take a slight step back before stepping up to the door again, moving his ear closer to the door in order to hear her. Her next words were at a normal volume but still a little tense. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Percy's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, sorry, Beth." He rubbed the back of his neck, he _didn't_ mean to almost walk in on her using the toilet, honestly, but she usually told him before going in that he couldn't come in and either grab something or get ready next to her in the mornings. That way she- and he- still had their privacy despite them being completely comfortable around each other and being intimate a few times since he had returned from traveling with the hunters, the two deciding not to wait anymore. "I don't mean to rush you… but I need to get going soon… so…"

"I'll be out in a minute. Just- just can you give me some privacy, please?" She asked. "It's weird having you listening to me on the toilet."

"Yeah, no problem. Sorry." Percy headed off to his office- aka the room Annabeth was _supposed_ to use before she moved into his room, not that he minded, of course- to make sure he had everything prepared for the Games. Two minutes later Annabeth emerged from the oval office, something clutched in her hand as the other pulled on her bra strap under her extra large tshirt- that he recognized as one of his that went 'missing' two weeks ago- as she came in mumbling under her breath into the room. Percy didn't catch most of it, but he's pretty sure he heard her gripping about her 'ladies' as she dubbed them.

Turning to his girlfriend as she entered he gave her a once over. "You alright, Wisegirl?" He asked, watching her slump down on his chair. "You're not getting sick, are you?"

"No, no, just…" She waved the small item around with her hand lazily. "Just tired. I must not have gotten as much sleep as I thought. I've been working non-stop getting ready for the Games."

"You weren't throwing up in there or anything, were you?" He asked, worried that she was sick as he gathered his scrolls into a bag and faced her.

"No I… just uh, lady things." She waved the item she was holding, Percy now recognizing it as the small clutch purse she usually kept her hygiene products in, his eyes slightly widening as he realized what she was talking about. As a guy he tried his best to avoid any and all conversation involving… _that_ time of the month, not wanting to invade her privacy. She wore a strained reassuring smile. "I'm fine, just feel a little off."

"You going to be up for today?" He asked. "Because we can get you a replacement-."

"Nah," She waved him off, getting up from his chair and heading towards the door, about to go into their room to get dressed. "I'll be okay, I'm just a little tired is all, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself." She eyed the clock as she left the room, pulling the large shirt over her head, and if Percy leaned over to catch a glimpse of her as she walked around their room in her underwear he wouldn't tell you, nor would he admit it. "Might want to hurry up, Seaweed Brain, you don't want to be late."

"...Yeah, sure…" He was too distracted to listen to what she was saying for a few seconds before shaking his head of his thoughts and getting back to work making sure everything was ready. A minute or so later Annabeth's voiced called out from their room.

"Hey, babe?"

"Yeah?" He asked, furiously writing last minute details down he was _supposed_ to do the other day.

"Have you seen my toga?"

"Which one? The ceremonial one or the athletic one?"

The sound of someone sifting through clothes in a closet sounded from the room across the hall. "Gods, I have _way_ too many togas…" He heard her mumble before calling out to him. "I mean my new one for the Games."

Percy scratched his head, trying to remember, it had been a busy and hectic last couple of days. Usually Annabeth was on top of things and always knew where everything was but for some reason she had been scatterbrained the last week or so, Percy personally blamed it on the Games and their trying to address his sleeping problems with Katie. "Oh, it's still in the package, remember?"He reached over to pick up a medium sized paper package sitting on a chair. "It's in here."

She appeared in the small office next to him a few seconds later, dressed in nothing but her lace underwear, Percy couldn't help but appreciate the view. As she took the package from him she must have noticed his staring because she smirked and lightly socked him in the shoulder. "My eyes are _up here_ , mister."

"And while I like them, I'd rather stare a little lower. Those _are_ my favorite pair." He caught her rolling her eyes as she ripped open the brown paper and revealed her red toga, a sign of a judge for the Games. Another difference between the demigods and the ancient Greeks is that for obvious reasons- most of which were because of cultural differences but also because of the young ages of the competitors- the campers _didn't_ participate in the nude. They also didn't wear the same types of athletic gear the modern Olympic athletes wore, but participated in togas perfectly designed to allow the athlete to maintain their full range of motion while also honoring their ancestors before them. The togas the judges and officials wore were a little different that the ones the athletes wore, the first major difference being the color, which was a dulled red for them and a plain white for the competitors. The other differences was that their wool fabric was heavier and thicker while the competitors were lightweight and thinner to help them maintain their cool as they competed. The last difference was the large, ornate purple silk sash that hung from their shoulder down to their belt that the judges and officials wore while the athletes wore smaller, colored sashes that bore the symbol of their cabin and godly parent on it.

Annabeth held the toga up in front of her, inspecting it as she smirked at Percy's last comment. "Well that's the last time I let _you_ pick out my underwear." She told him as she slipped the material over her head, Percy helping pull the heavy fabric down as she did so.

He smiled. " _Hey_ , it's not _my_ fault that you made me go clothes shopping with you and my mom last Christmas. I was bored."

"We were looking for ugly Christmas sweaters," She told him as she pulled her hair out from under the material. "It's our tradition."

"But then you turned that tradition into a four hour clothes shopping trip."

"It was two and a half at the most." She rolled her eyes as she straightened the toga and reached for the purple sash. "Don't whine about it, that was _five months_ ago." She smiled, wrapping the sash around her with Percy's help.

"I still can't believe that you managed to talk me into buying a sweater for myself." He remembered that abomination of a sweater, may it rest in peace as it's scattered ashes flew into the wind.

She snorted next to him. "I still can't believe that you brought _this_ set of underwear up to me in front of _your mom_ saying I should get it." She smiled fondly at the memory, Sally went so red in the face and smacked Percy on the back of the head for suggesting that Annabeth buy something so revealing. Annabeth waved off Sally's concerns that she'd buy them, but went back later to get the pair as a surprise for Percy. And boy was he surprised, it was well worth it in her opinion.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'll admit, it wasn't my brightest moment. But it payed off," He sent her a flirty grin as he tied the sash at her waist. "I get to see you in them."

She socked him in the arm again, not able to hold back her smile. "You're a perv, you know that?" After dodging her next attack, Percy donned his own toga for the Games. It was light weight wool and sat on one shoulder and tucked beneath the opposite armpit. And since togas weren't known as the most modest clothing in the world, the campers wore undergarments under them. Either just underwear or shorts for the boys while the girls were a little more modest and wore athletic shorts and sports bras or tops under the togas, depending on their personal preference. Because of the nature of the togas, they were a little different for each gender, the boys' togas showed off more skin under their arms along their sides and one of their pecs was left completely exposed. A guy could always choose to wear a shirt underneath the toga, but most of the older guys decided no to so they could show off their muscles to the girls, not that most of the girls minded, of course. The girls' togas were more reserved and showed less skin, of course, it mostly resembled the ones the boys wore except that it didn't show off any skin under their arms down their sides and covered most, if not all of their chest and only showing the slightest amount of their clothing underneath, depending on the size and preference of the competitor and cut off a few inches above the knee, slightly higher than the boys'. Some girls didn't show off any skin while others, like Mika who didn't care- but was also almost twice the size of the other girls and didn't fit in the togas properly- showed off more while still remaining appropriate, since the camp still held young children in it and they didn't want to accidentally flash any of the younger- or older- kids.

"How do I look?" After she was all ready, Annabeth gave a small twirl but immediately regretted it, her nausea from earlier returning with full force. She held her head. "Ugh, bad idea, Beth." She mumbled to herself.

"You alright?" Percy asked from next to her, straightening his own customized sash representing Poseidon around his waist.

"Yeah yeah," She mumbled, waving his worry off. "Just spun my head too fast."

"Well take it easy, okay Wisegirl?" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he headed for the door. "I'll see you at the opening ceremony."

oooOooo

 **(AN: If we get more than 6 Reviews**

 **I'll put out the next chapter a day early)**

oooOooo

 **(Main Arena)**

Percy could hear the rumbling of the drums and cheers long before he lined up with the other competitors in the tunnel that lead into the arena, waiting for their signal to run out into the arena so they could start the Games. As soon as all the competitors had lined up along the walls of the tunnel, the winner of the one hundred meter run last year, Cecil from Hermes, was given the torch from an official and ran at full sprint into the arena and lit the large bonfire at the opposite end, officially starting the Games. Along with the rest of the competitors, Percy ran into the stadium to the deafening sounds of the crowds as they cheered for their cabins or favorite athletes. Due to his history in the previous Games as well as his accomplishments and popularity at camp, Percy was always a fan favorite and considered one of the major contenders, but this year was a little different with the arrival of their latest demigod, Leonidas, because of his immense strength and skill. He was by far the new fan favorite for the year with a lot of the campers betting on the giant man to win.

Once all of the competitors had entered the arena and the crowd had come quiet enough to talk, the announcer for the Games, DJ, the son of Apollo, began the opening speech. He gave praise to the gods for blessing and watching the games- the crowd growing anxious and worried when the usually rumbling sky from the cheering gods remained silent-, retold the story of how the Games began in order to bring praise and honor to the king of the gods, Zeus, and had all of the competitors to swear an oath saying that they would follow all of the rules and do their best to honor the gods. Once he was finished the arena was cleared and was set up for the first event. And it was in the preparation time for the first event when Leonidas came up to Percy.

"That son of Apollo forgot something in his retelling of the Games." Leonidas said instead of a greeting, but raising his large hand in a small wave when Percy turned to him.

Percy's brow peaked. "Hey, Leonidas." He greeted. "What do you mean?"

"He forgot to mention the Games were set up by Zeus' son, Heracles, to honor his father after he completed his twelve labors." Leonidas told him, his eyes inspecting the arena around him like he was taking in every sight at once. "And that Heracles marked out the first _stadion_ track by walking two hundred steps and turning around, thereby giving the mortals the distance to run." He eyed the length of the dirt running track disappointingly. "The length of a _stadion_ is one hundred eighty meters, the track you have here in _only one hundred_." He faced Percy. "It's far too short." He said this like he expected Percy to do something about it despite the arena being built decades, or perhaps even longer, before Percy was born.

Percy blinked. "Oh, uh, I didn't know that about Heracles." He said, making a mental note to ask someone smart like Annabeth if it was true. If it _was_ true then they needed to know so that they could tell the accurate story. That's what made it hard about finding the real story for how something happened, since each story in Greek history had various versions. "And there's not much I can do about the track, since we usually do the races by hundred meters."

"I have dreamed about standing in a _stadion_ since I was a boy." Leonidas mused, taking in all of his surroundings and completely ignoring the small crowd of Aphrodite girls yelling his name and watching him like hawks as he walked around with a fully bare chest, shorts and oversized sneakers, a result of none of the togas at camp fitting his large frame. "I trained everyday to push myself to my limits in order to one day be able to stand among the champions." He looked up to the clear, early morning sky like he could see something Percy couldn't and nodded like he was also replying to someone Percy couldn't hear. He spoke again, still facing the beautiful red dawn sky. "I never believed that I would be able to stand on such sacred grounds and compete in front of the gods. I hope to prove myself to them all, to my… father… to show him how strong I have become."

Percy hesitated slightly, by now he had learned that Leonidas often talked to himself when he looked up to the sky, so he didn't know if he should reply or not. "...Well, I can't say for certain that the gods _are_ watching this year." Percy said, looking around the arena and seeing how different is was this year. Normally some gods would be in attendance, either in person or watching from above, and blessed the camp for the entire five days. Nymphs and satyrs would sing to the trees and plants and they would dance in place, the canoe lake was transformed into an oversized fountain with dazzling pillars of water shooting into the sky and turning into various pictures, giving the history of the camp,Games and gods. Mr. D would create the largest buffet of food in the world while Athena and Hephaestus decorated the camp, cabins and courses with elaborate decorations, metal automatons that juggled flaming axes, mechanical birds that flew over head pulling the various banners of the cabins while they sung ancient tunes telling the names of all of the champions before them. And at night the stars and moon would light up and brilliant streaks of color would flash across the night sky. Every god would cease all hostility with each other for the remainder of the Games. The Olympic Games were _always_ the highlights of the year, but _this year_ , _none_ of that usual grandeur or fanfare was present, the gods were still silent, even on their most celebrated of days.

Percy shook his head slightly to clear his mind, looking back to Leonidas. "If only you would have been here when the gods weren't gone," He told the larger man. "Then they would be able to see you and compete and… _maybe_ your father would too, whoever he is."

Leonidas smiled as he looked down to Percy. "I am not a child anymore, I no longer seek his attention, nor do I need his approval, I know my skill and I compete today not to prove myself to him, but to prove to myself who I am." Percy was about to open his mouth to reply but the conch blew telling all of the competitors to gather for the first event, the one hundred meter run.

"Good luck, Leonidas." Percy waved goodbye to his friend as he went off to the reserved seats for the competitors. "You have some stiff competition this year."

And as if to tell everyone he wasn't just all talk, Leonidas entered in the traditional opening event-as well as the first event to ever be held in the Olympics- the one hundred meter run, against the fastest demigods at camp and managed to score an easy victory by beating out the second place finisher, Travis, by a whole two seconds, a feat that stumped and surprised the crowd as Leonidas' time and victory was announced. Leonidas was a _lot faster_ than he looked and was capable of incredible short bursts of speed, it seemed. Once the one hundred meter was over the next running events started, none of which Leonidas competed in because he had to go off to get ready for his next event, the Javelin Throw.

oooOooo

The next four days of events went on, each of the competitors giving it their all in order to win and bring honor to their parents in hope that one of them would make an appearance and attend the Games. But no gods came, neither did any satyrs, or nymphs or anything. For the first time in history, the demigods were all alone during the Games.

Percy was pumped, he had won every swimming event earlier today by a landslide and beat his records from the previous years by big margins. It seems that his power and strength over his father's domain was still growing. But the most recent events had dropped his cheerful demeanor ever so slightly. You see, today was the day that the physical, person vs person events took place for his age class, meaning Wrestling, Pankration, Boxing and Sword Combat, _all_ events he used to either win at or came second in in previous years, only to find himself beaten in every event by Leonidas when they met in the finals. The large man had already beat him in Weightlifting yesterday- in which he set a new camp, and technically _world record_ by lifting 800kg **(1763.7lbs)** , and stunning the entire camp when he used several tractor tires as weights and lifted the gargantuan weight over his head without breaking much of a sweat- but also Wrestling, Pankration and Boxing earlier today. The only event left was Sword Combat, Percy's best event other than Swimming and his _last chance_ to beat the self-named Son of Sparta.

After battling his way through his competition without much hassle, beating out the likes of Avery, Nico and Piper after giving the girl an apology when he absolutely destroyed her in combat, Percy found himself in the final bracket facing off against Leonidas who had just beaten Clarisse without much trouble when the aforementioned girl froze at the start of the fight and Leonidas took advantage of it and took her down with a 'death strike'- holding the blade at the opponents neck, head or heart- and won the fight without ever having to defend himself. Something that awed the crowd, but no one more than Percy, Clarisse was _many_ things, but she _wasn't_ a coward. So in order to find out what happened, he sought the girl out in one of the waiting room inside of the arena in between the fights.

He found Clarisse in the last room at the end of the hall, being really easy to find because there was a fist sized dent in the wall next to the door. Percy knocked once on the door before opening it and was immediately awarded with a sword pointed at his face. " _Leave me_ \- oh, Prissy, it's you." Clarisse lowered her voice once she recognized who it was, Percy having the feeling that if he was anyone else with the exception of her boyfriend, that he would have been beheaded. She waited a few more seconds before lowering her sword and sheathing it, turning her back to him as she sat on the wooden bench, her broad shoulders slumped and her head lowered. "I suppose ya are here to tell me how scared I was out there, huh? How much I messed up?" Her voice was harsh, like she had already dealt with that particular conversation with the other campers.

Percy shook his head as he sat down on the bench a few spaces away from her, making sure to give her her space and stay out of her reach just in case she lost her temper. "..No, I didn't come here to say that." He told her honestly, looking off to the wooden wall, suddenly finding it very interesting. "I came… to ask if you were okay."

Her head looked up suddenly, her eyes dangerous like she suspected he was making fun of her before realizing that he was being genuine. "...I, I don't know." She held up her hand and inspected it like she was trying to find something wrong with it. "I mean, I'm _pissed_ that I choked like that, but I'm _more_ pissed that I can't figure out _why_ I choked in the first place." She clenched her hand tightly. "I don't know _what_ happened… I was fine during all of my earlier matches, I mean I _crushed_ everyone I fought, but once I came to fight Leonidas… I…" She trailed off. "I…"

"You what?"

" _I got scared._ " She said softly, like she couldn't believe it even though she experienced it. "I was fine steppin' into the arena, and when the ref went over the rules, but as soon as I looked into his eyes and raised my sword…" She dropped her head into her hands, slightly shaking it. "It… it was like _all_ of the courage, confidence and strength I had… _vanished_. So when I saw him coming at me… I… froze."

Percy had no idea what to say, so he did something he would normally _never_ do to Clarisse, and put his hand on her large shoulder. She stiffened for a nano second but relaxed as she let out a breath. "I… I don't know _what's_ wrong with me…" She mumbled, looking up at the ceiling. "Did I piss off my dad?Did I do something wrong? Did… he _curse me?_ "

Percy gave a light shrug. "I don't know, Clarisse." From behind them he heard another person enter the room, turning he discovered it was Chris, her boyfriend.

"Clarisse!" Chris ignored every self preservation instinct Percy had ever had and ran up to the girl and wrapped his arms around her large shoulders. "What happened? Are you alright? Gods, I was _so worried_ watching your fight. Are you okay?"

Percy stepped back from the couple and was about to make his leave until Clarisse called out to him, stopping in the doorway looking back at her. "A word of advice, Percy." She looked him right in the eyes as Chris hugged her. " _Don't_ look him in the eyes."

oooOooo

Percy stepped up into the large dirt arena, tightening his arm bracers before putting on his helmet as he listened to DJ go over the rules for the fight and make some announcements to the crowd. One of the rules being that magical items and weapons weren't allowed in the fight, meaning Percy had to leave _Riptide_ behind as Leonidas had to forgo his enchanted _xiphos_ as well, each demigod having to wield an identical weapon like everyone else in the competition so that the fights were as fair as possible.

Eyeing his giant opponent as he fixed his own massive armor on his body, Percy ran through what Clarisse told him in his head, trying to figure out _why_ she said that and _how_ looking into Leonidas' eyes scared her and caused her to lose. Was he just _that_ intimidating? He was a very large man and every instinct in your body screamed at you to avoid him when he approached, but he was also one of the nicest and kind people Percy had ever known. But Percy knew one thing, he _trusted_ Clarisse and if she warned him about a fight then we would listen to her.

After drowning out DJ as he announced the finalists, Percy and Leonidas stepped into the ring, their swords drawn and shields at the ready. Leonidas watched him like a hawk as Percy got in his stance, ready for the match to begin. His eyes studying every move Percy made, how he gripped his sword, how high he held his shield, his footwork, everything. And it honestly made Percy a little anxious, he wasn't used to an opponent being able to read him like Leonidas could. It was uncanny, like the giant man could look into your mind and see what you were going to do before you yourself knew it.

The ref for the fight, Sherman Yang from Ares, stepped up and raised his hand and an Apollo kid 'blared' on a trumpet loudly, starting the fight. "BEGIN!"

In a fraction of a second Leonidas had cleared the dozen feet and had his blade aimed at Percy's chestplate, the son of Poseidon barely managing to counter the strike before jumping to the side and rolling out of the next strike. _Come on, Percy,_ He thought to himself. _You fought him once before, he can predict your Greek style, so use your Roman training and finish him before he adapts to it._

Percy sidestepped Leonidas' strike and dropped low and tucked his shield and sword in to get under and Leonidas' reach and take advantage of his smaller size. Once he was inside of attacking range, Percy thrust his borrowed sword at Leonidas' chest in order to try to hit the 'vital point' over his heart and end the match. But Leonidas was too fast and knocked Percy back with a hard kick to the chest.

As he was rising, Percy had to throw his shield up to block a downward strike from Leonidas, the impact causing Percy's bones to rattle and his shield to creak under the strength of the blow. Rolling out of the way, Percy jumped to his feet and faced his opponent, studying the large man as he stood a few paces away, looking back at him.

"Are you content on running the entire match or are you going to attack?" Leonidas called out in some friendly banter, his eyes focused on Percy, studying him. "Show me what the son of the great Earthshaker can do."

Percy's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, this would be so much easier if he was able to use his over power to catch Leonidas off guard long enough to get a strike in, but all powers and abilities were prohibited during the match. Percy didn't reply, not falling for Leonidas' possible trick to try to distract him, instead keeping his sea green orbs trained on his opponent. Without warning Leonidas charged again, a large cloud of dust and air forming behind him as the giant man sliced through the air towards Percy.

'Tching!' Their blades sparked as they clashed, the sound of metal on metal reverberating throughout the entire arena as the deafening cheers of the crowd surrounded them. Dropping low, Percy tried to get in close again only to be get met with Leonidas' shoulder and thrown back a dozen feet before managing to stop himself before he fell out of bounds. Rising to his feet, Percy felt an indescribable, irresistible draw tugging on his eyes, not able to pull his eyes away he looked up and found Leonidas' piercing reddish-brown amber gaze boring into his own and a second later he felt his heart drop, quickly followed by his sword and shield as his arms fell to his sides, his knees going weak and unable to support him any longer.

Unflinching and his gaze unwavering, unyielding, Leonidas stood like a mammoth statue as Percy dropped to a knee, his shield being used to help him maintain his balance. _What is going on?_ Percy thought to himself, his heart was racing, his body was shaking and he felt inexplicably scared, like all of his courage had been sapped from him and his entire body was screaming at him to run and hide. _It must be what Clarisse was talking about,_ He thought to himself, trying his best to rise to his feet despite the limbs refusing to move. _But it doesn't make_ _ **any**_ _sense,_ _ **what**_ _is going on? Why is my body feeling this way?_ He forced his eyes to look back to the man as he slowly made his way over to Percy, his heavy footsteps silent as he crossed the dirt ring. _Is this somehow Leonidas' doing? But how? The only god I know that can affect your courage in battle is Ares, is_ _ **he**_ _Leonidas' father?_

Percy wasn't given any more time to think as Leonidas had made his way to him, moving to lower his sword down to Percy's neck and claim victory. Percy watched in slow motion as the dulled blade got ever closer to him, his entire body on fire with panic as his heart beat at twice the normal speed. He tried to raise his sword in defense, but his arms didn't possess the strength nor the desire to combat such a man.

The blade was only a few inches from being close enough to his neck to grant Leonidas the victory when Percy felt a flicker of strength wash through him, enough to snap him out of his state and enough for him to knock Leonidas' blade away from his neck at the last second and jump to the side.

The crowd broke into a cacophonous roar of cheers as Percy forcefully climbed to his feet and faced his opponent, raising his sword at the man. His breathing was hard and ragged, his chest heaving from the simple action and sweat was pouring from him by the bucket. His body reacting like he had just sprinted a marathon and not just swung his sword and moved a few paces to the side. Whatever effect he was under earlier, it took nearly _all_ of his energy to break free from it. He felt read to drop at any moment, he needed to end this _now_.

Leonidas turned slowly to Percy, his brow raised slightly as he studied Percy, his face as still as stone and his body unflinching. Percy's arms screamed as he dropped his shield to use both arms to support the weight, holding the blade out in front of him as he waited for Leonidas to attack.

"Are you alright, brother?" Leonidas asked, now finally moving as he tilted his head at Percy, his voice sounding genuine. "You don't look so good. Do you want to forfeit?"

"I've _never…_ quit…" Percy's voice came out rough, having to speak in between breaths. Each word sapping at his already low amount of strength. "And I won't… back down… now…"

The corner of Leonidas' lip curled up slightly. "Alright then," He dropped to his stance. "Let's give them a show." Without warning the titanic man shot at Percy, his sword swinging faster than Percy's eye could track. The only reason why Percy wasn't struck by a stray shot was due to his instincts taking over and controlling his body for him.

Their blades moved in an elaborate dance, spinning, leaping, dodging and striking the other so fast and so powerful that fiery sparks began to fill the air around them, only barely visible through the wall of dust and dirt particles from their feet as they maneuvered around each other.

Percy's chest was beating so fast he feared that his heart would burst through his chest. Most of the fear from earlier was gone, but his self preservation instincts were still screaming at him to run and flee from the being he was fighting. All thoughts that he was able to win this duel were gone, like they had been stripped from his mind, but he _wouldn't_ go down. It didn't matter if this was just a friendly duel for some stupid laurel or a battle to the death, _Percy wasn't a quitter._

Summoning the remainder of his strength and letting loose a roar, Percy charged at the man with a feral savagery and began to wail on his opponent with his sword, each strike powerful enough to shatter concrete. "Gaaah!" Percy yelled as he pressed harder and harder towards Leonidas, the large man holding his own but showing signs of weakness.

"Gah!" Percy used the sword like a club as he beat at the man with an almost barbaric amount of savagery. "Gaah!" He pressed in more, increasing his speed and intensity, not giving the other man the time to think, breath or react. Giving one last yell, Percy slammed into the larger man and the two exchanged blows and swings powerful enough to fell forests of trees. Percy thrusted his sword at the man's chestplate but missed by centimeters when the man dodged. Percy watched with wide eyes as he noticed Leonidas' blade in the perfect position to strike him, but at the last second Leonidas inexplicably hesitated for the briefest of seconds before choosing to launch for another attack. Straight into a move Percy parried before striking through Leonidas' now faulty defense and bringing the tip of his dulled blade to meet Leonidas' neck and stopping a millimeter in front of it, causing the large man to freeze.

Percy heard a bell sound and felt Sherman force the two of them apart as his mind went fuzzy and his vision darkened. Through slowing blinks he saw glimpses of blurs above him he recognized as Sherman and Leonidas, then at some point Will joined them, followed by a screaming Annabeth but by that point everything he heard was just a jumbled mess.

Then everything went dark.

oooOooo

 **(The Big House Infirmary)**

Percy didn't wake up until the next afternoon. When he was finally able to get his head to stop ringing Will told him what happened. He explained that he and the best healers looked over him and couldn't find anything physically wrong with him, which wasn't very surprising since Percy's Curse of Achilles made him almost invulnerable. But it was the stress Percy did to his heart that worried Will and the healers, it beat rapidly at odd intervals and while not life threatening at the speed it was going at now, there was still the risk that it could cause some serious damage, so Will finally decided to sedate Percy overnight to slow his heart rate down to a healthy speed.

After being smothered by Annabeth when Will let her in the room and after the son of Apollo looked him over, Percy was let to go home with the strict orders to take it easy for the next few days and rest. Because even if he felt better now, the sheer amount of stress to his body that caused him to pass out still could be affecting him.

After letting Annabeth help him to their apartment, Percy dropped on their bed, still exhausted but otherwise fine. His mind reeling as he tried to figure out what came over him. His head was so fuzzy and jumbled that he couldn't think straight. Annabeth came to him after a few hours when he woke up from a nap, catching him after she came out of the bathroom when he was heading there and telling him that she was going to head into the city to pick up a few things but to also tell his mom, Sally, that he was fine. Percy was confused by this, he didn't think that Annabeth told his mom that he passed out but in his state he was just too tired to think about it and just told her to be careful and say hi to his mom for him and see if she could bring back some of his mom's famous blue cookies.

A few minutes- and a quick peck on the cheek later- Annabeth headed out the door after ordering him to stay in bed and rest. He barely noticed her leave, not noticing how anxious and nervous she was before she left. She hated to leave Percy when he was like this, but she needed to verify something. She only prayed to the gods that she was wrong but feared that she wasn't.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **How'd you like this bonus chapter? We got some nice flirty, domestic Percabeth moments at the beginning then mostly focused on the Games. Was it okay that I only showed the one or did you guys want more? I wanted to show more but it would have taken time away from me doing ch7 and the main chapters will always be my focus. Let me know what you thought.**

 **I'm going to beg for Reviews now, I'm not trying to be mean or saying that I expect a certain number or anything, but I can only improve this story when I get feedback. So leave a Review telling me what you liked, didn't like, wanted more of, wanted less of and anything you can think of. I'll always reply and I like longer Reviews, so don't worry about writing too much. I love getting into long conversations with you guys, some of mine have gone on for days.**

 **Well thanks again for reading, make sure to Follow/Favorite both me and this story and leave a Review. I'll see you guys this weekend for ch7.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas, at least according to the other campers, spends a lot of time in the woods looking up at the stars at night and especially in the early dawn. They don't know _what_ he's doing out there, but it's almost like he's able to see something they cant. His face is either a degree of peaceful serenity or heart-wrenching pain. No one has ever been brave enough to ask whether he is okay or not though, so they don't know what's bothering him but they have the feeling that he wants to be left alone.

 **Question of the day:** 'If you could rewrite ANY part of PJ then what would it be?' Maybe erase a character? Rewrite a fight or scene? Add more Percabeth fluff? I'd personally do the ladder and rewrite the ending of BOO.


	15. Ch 7: Stories of Leonidas: Parts 3&4

Chapter 7: Stories of Leonidas: Parts 3&4

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! I'm back, back again with another chapter. Did you all like the bonus chapter? Did any of you skip it? I hope not, we got two major details for the story. Anyway, I want to thank you guys for all of the positive Reviews and helping us smash through my all time Views record last month. We beat the previous record of 11,303 views back in 9/2018. The total for February was 12,070 views! That's insane! Can we beat the record again this month? I'll keep up with the chapters if you guys keep up the Reviews and views like you have been! Make sure to vote on my Poll as well if you can. Can we get 10 Reviews this time?**

 **Just to let everyone know, Leonidas' Weightlifting feat last chapter was 800kg(1763.7lbs), 300kg(about 300lbs) over the current world record at 500kg(1102.31lbs) made by Eddie Hall in 2016. Some people may say that Leonidas' record is too far fetched, but he's a demigod, I like to think that Percy or Frank may be able to lift 453kg(1000lbs), so to say that Leonidas(whose power is** _ **literally**_ **his strength) would be able to lift and surpass 500kg with ease. Just wanted to make sure you all knew how heavy and impressive that was. It'll come back up in this chapter.**

 **I have a question for you guys, I changed the summary for this story a few days ago, do you like it? I think that it more accurately describes the story now. Let me know.**

 **So I should have mentioned this back in the last 'Stories of Leonidas' chapter, but his yells/bellows are based off of Frank Castle's aka The Punisher's from the Marvel Netflix show that they foolishly ended. For reference, when Leonidas is calm and fighting normally, he is utterly silent and completely focused on the enemy, but when he's enraged he bellows, roars and screams like Frank, almost like a feral animal. Just a little info for you guys for this chapter. Also, remember that '** _ **dory**_ ' **is a traditional Greek spear, '** _ **hoplon**_ ' **is a round shield and a '** _ **xiphos**_ ' **is a Greek short sword. Didn't want anyone of you wondering why I was saying** _ **dory**_ **or** _ **hoplon**_ **a lot.**

 **Follow me on Twitter. Same name as on here:** HephaestusBuil1

 **Have a great day! I'll see you at the bottom.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Stories of Leonidas: Part 3: Leaves a Spartan

 **(December 23, 2003 - A small farmhouse in Minnesota)**

'Thud' Thud' 'Thud-thud' … 'Thud' 'Thud' 'Thud-thud' Leonidas' cloth-wrapped fists struck the padded truck of a tree with a perfect rhyme. His strikes in perfect sync and form as they shot at the buckling tree. It was just before dawn and he was getting his morning training in before he had to do his chores. 'Thud' Thud' 'Thud-thud' His right fist struck the tree followed by his left and then was followed up by his right then left striking the tree in rapid succession.

'Thud' Thud' 'Thud-thud' … 'Thud' Thud' 'Thud-thud' … 'Thud' Thud' 'Thud-thud' The rhythm was almost soothing to the twelve year old demigod and soon he was almost in a sort of trance as be practiced his forms for another hour, his mind only focusing on keeping his form perfect, lest his mother criticize him and give him more chores.

'Thud' Thud' 'Thud-thud' Giving one last combo, he stepped back from the tree, unwrapping his large fists as he reached for his large container of water and taking a long drink. Putting the water down, he moved over to the lake that sat behind their house at the edge of his mother's gardens, their only source of food besides their few chickens and goats. He had been taught to tend and look after the animals since he was a small child, it was now his job to fully look after them. After feeding the animals and letting the goats out of their pens, Leonidas made his way to the back of the house before the beautifully stunning lake where his mother, as always, sat at a worn and weathered gazebo, staring fondly at the rising sun as it stretched out over the crystal clear lake.

He watched for for some time as she sat at the lake, two cups of tea and small loaf of freshly baked bread sat next to her on the table, something she always prepared- something she had done _every single day_ of Leonidas' twelve years of life- just in case his father arrived that morning like he promised her all those years ago.

But he never came.

He never would.

Leonidas knew that, but it didn't mean that he was able to convince his mother that, not that he _hadn't_ tried many times over the years, she just wouldn't entertain the idea and continue to stare longingly at the horizon. It didn't bother him, not like it used to when he was a child and strived for his father's approval, not love, for he had never felt love from his mother, the only person he had ever met, and therefore never sought love from anyone, even his mother or father. Love was a useless, abstract concept that the boy of twelve didn't understand. It held no substance in his mind, it could not be weighed or measured, quantified nor examined, it held no importance in any history or textbook he had ever read, except to be the cause of war, bloodshed, strife and hatred.

So for his mother, the single strongest, smartest and independent- and only- person he had ever met to be essentially crippled and chained by this abstract concept she called love, made her _utterly foolish_ in Leonidas' twelve year old mind. Why would she, or _anyone_ for that matter, subject themselves to such folly? As far as he could see, neither his mother nor his father received any benefit from their love or marriage. They were never in the other's presence, so even the comradery or union that should have existed after their marriage held no purpose. As far as Leonidas could tell his father received no benefit from the 'love' that was between them. And the same went for his mother, she was slowly driving herself to madness as she brought herself closer and closer to death with each passing day. After twelve years of analysis Leonidas had figured out what love truly was.

Love was hardships, pain, endless longing and unfulfilled promises.

Love was a vile, vicious, useless thing.

If this is what love had in store for him and the rest of humanity, then Leonidas would rather snuff it out before it managed to somehow latch its claws into his skin then subject the rest of the world to this pain. Maybe the virgin hunters of Artemis had the right idea in forgoing any sort of romantic, sexual or physical love. As far as he had experienced, Aphrodite and her Domain were vile and caused more harm to the world than good. The world and humanity were better off without her and love. And one day he would do something about that.

Love was utterly useless. And his mother would realize this when she died without her husband ever returning to her. It was dishearteningly pessimistic, but it was true.

oooOooo

 **(Remember to leave a Review)**

oooOooo

Leonidas suddenly woke to the sound of shattering glass and in the fraction of a second he jumped out of bed, grabbed his _xiphos_ from his bedside table and rolled across the wooden floor with a mechanical, practiced action to the wall next to the door, pressing his back against the rough wood, his breath stilled as he held his _xiphos_ above his head behind the door, ready to kill anything foolish enough to break into his house. But his calmed, steady breaths stopped entirely when he heard his mother's cry from downstairs.

Recklessly throwing his door open, he barreled down the hall and came face to face with a small Cyclops. Leonidas was utterly silent as he sliced his blade through the Cyclops' chest and neck, the only sound escaping his lips were his quick, hushed breaths. With maneuvers that had been drilled into him since he was a boy, he silently rolled under the swing of a club before cupping his hand over a Cyclops' mouth to silence it as he ran his _xiphos_ through its heart and jerking the blade to finish it off.

No sound came from him as he made his way through the small band of Monsters, using the narrow hall to his advantage by jumping off of the walls to dodge attacks and strike at the beasts' heads.

"Gaaah!" A Cyclops bellowed as his severed, bloodied arm hit the floor.

A Hellhound let loose a chilling howl as it too was thrown through the exterior wooden wall and fell to the dirt a story below.

'Thud-thud-thud!' Another Cyclops fell after Leonidas caved in it's face with a brutal combo of punches, then picked up the spasming body and hurled it down the stairs knocking down a few more Monsters.

From the top of the stairs he could see his mother cutting a swath through the Monsters, already dressed in full armor and wielding her _dory_ and _hoplon_ as she flawlessly struck down all of the Monsters around her. Leonidas halted as he watched her, amazed, he had _never_ seen his mother in her armor before and had _never_ seen her fight with such ferocity, it was almost like watching a goddess on the battlefield. Her shining silver-plated Celestial Bronze breastplate reflected the eerily dimmed light of the scattered torches on the ground brought by the hordes of beats as she danced around her opponents like it was a well choreographed performance, each movement, each step she made was flawlessly calculated and utterly beautiful to watch. Her blue dyed leather and chainmail skirt twirled like the dress of a ballerina as she effortless spun to avoid strikes and counter attacks. Her long, curled brunette hair swayed in the air as she jumped, twirled, dodged and lunged at her enemies, as it came out from the sides of her matching silver-plated traditional Athenian helmet. Adorning the shining helmet were twin owls- one on each side- etched and molded onto the metal over each cheek. And atop of her head sat a tall, stunning blue plume of horse hair in the shape of a mohawk. If Leonidas hadn't recognized her, he would have mistaken her for a goddess with her appearance and how she effortlessly cut through the Monsters.

It seemed that he was staring for too long because his mother yelled to him, catching him off guard because it was the first time he had ever heard her raise her voice in his twelve years of life. "To arms, Leonidas!" She called out as she spun on her silver-plated knees under the swing of a massive club before countering the attack by impaling the Cyclops with her _dory_. "The stronghold has been invaded, do your duty soldier and defend it! Kill all of the trespassers!"

"Yes ma'am!" He complied, jumping into the fray and swinging his _xiphos_ through the arm of a Cyclops. He and his mother fought back to back after she threw him his _hoplon_ shield, the two using their massive circular shields to protect the side of the other as they fought in perfect sync.

After another minute the last Monster in sight fell to his mother's _dory_ and he turned to face her, using the break to catch his breath as he took in her appearance up close, she looked like a goddess with her flawless skin, youthful face and seemed at home in the Athenian armor, _no wonder_ his father fell for her, she was breathtaking when she was in her element. He was used to seeing her sit or pace around the house and yard in normal clothing with a vacant or lost expression on her face, not in a full set of armor. "Mother…" He breathed out. "Your- your armor… I've _never_ seen it-."

"T'was a gift from your father." Her battle hardened expression softened when she mentioned his father. "He had this armor forged from the remaining pieces of armor from Athens by Lord Hephaestus himself and charmed by Lady Hecate to ward off Monsters. It is molded after the set of armor that I received from my mother as a young girl..." She smiled fondly, a rare sight these days and foreign on her usually stern or distant face. "He gave it to me on our wedding day… it was the greatest gift I had ever received from him."

Leonidas' brow peaked slightly, kind of confused. "But how did you have the time to don your armor, mother?" He asked, inspecting the armor before looking down to his bare chest and shorts, he hadn't even had time to even grab his belt with his dagger and she had somehow had the time to dress in her full armor, greaves, boots, arm bracers and all. "Did the magical wards alert you to their presence with enough time? Why did you not wake me?"

She lightly shook her head, looking at their open door out into the abyss-like darkness like she was waiting for something she knew was going to arrive. "Today is the day, Leonidas." She told him, her voice turning more distant like it usually was. Like her mind was far away and her emotionless shell of a body was only relaying the message.

"What day, mother?" He asked her. "What do you mean?"

"I have received a vision in my dreams, Leonidas." She called him by his name as she always did, him not ever remembering a time that she referred to him as 'son' or 'my child'. " _For names had power and honored those we are named after"_ , she told him. "My time on this world has come to an end, I have taught you everything I know, you no longer have any need for me. The stronghold will be overrun by a small army in a mere matter of minutes. We will attempt to fight them off… but ultimately you will flee from here and never return."

"But- but what about _you_ , mother?" His voiced raised a little but. "What are _you_ going to do?"

A wave of peace washed over her helmet covered face, Leonidas seeing it through the slits in the metal. "I shall hold them off to ensure your escape. Then…" Her voice softened and lowered just above a whisper. "I shall fall in battle… truly, a death _worthy of a soldier_. Then I will _finally_ be reunited with your father once again… _with my love_." A bellowing cry of a Monster shouted out of the darkness beyond their door, his mother gripped her _dory_ and _hoplon_ and marched up to the door and planted her feet at the threshold. "My love built this house with his bare hands…" She spoke to the pitch darkness, most likely completely unaware Leonidas was there now. "I shall not allow another filthy Monster to desecrate his gift. I shall wait for you at our gazebo, my love. Please, take care of Leonidas."

"But mother," He called out to her, stepping up next to her, trying to pull her to cover only to be shrugged off. "We can retreat to cover and-."

" _No_." She cut him off. "This is our home that your father built for us." She shook her head, her long hair shaking from the sharp movement. "Did I ever tell you of how he constructed it? He felled a dozen trees, prepared the land and set the foundation in a single morning. By the afternoon he had the walls set up and laid out." She smiled fondly at the memory, but Leonidas scowled, thinking that this was _not_ the time to be retelling a story he had heard a thousand times. "I _promised_ your father to wait for him here at the gazebo at sunrise, I shall _not_ abandon my home."

"But then you'll die!"

"I told you, Leonidas, I have seen my death in my dreams. I have been ready for them to arrive all day. You _cannot_ fight against fate." She dropped to a defensive stance as the cries of the Monsters grew louder. "Retreat through the backdoor, Leonidas. I shall hold them back long enough for you to escape."

"But we can still try-!"

"Silence!" She cut him off with a bark. "Listen to your mother, you foolish child. It is _not_ your destiny to die today, Leonidas. It is _mine_!" Her voice dropped to a normal volume. "I have seen what you must do in my dreams. You shall flee East from this place, towards your father and he shall meet you in the woods and grant you with a gift."

Leonidas' breath escaped his lips, his eyes wide. "I- I will see him?"

"That I do not know, Leonidas. But I saw his symbol in the air above your head…" She tore her eyes from the darkness and faced him, her eyes were soft and her face wore a relieved smile. "...Today is the day that he finally claims you… make him proud."

"But mother-."

"Go, my Leonidas." A Monster's cry came from close by. "Your father is waiting to meet you. You must not keep him waiting."

"But-."

" _Go!_ " She yelled. "While you still have the chance! Go to your father, claim your birthright and join your rightful place among the pantheon! You are a Prince of Olympus, the gods of old shall _bow_ to you one day. You are the child of a great- _the_ greatest hero to have _ever_ walked this earth, go out and claim your fate!"

"But what _is_ my fate?" He asked, slightly hopeful to actually be told his destiny.

"That I do not know, Leonidas." She whispered, now being able to hear the pounding of the earth as the army of Monsters crept ever closer. "But you shall achieve a feat above any man or god before you. You shall reunite with your father one day, climb Mount Olympus to claim your dreams and rise into the sky and live among the stars forever. _That_ , is what I see in store for you." Without warning she pushed him back, a feat Leonidas didn't think possible for her with her malnourished and weak body against his large and muscular body. "This is farewell, _son_. I pray to the Fates that I do not see you in _Hades_ too soon."

It was at that moment that a massive Cyclops burst into view and swung his club in the air, only to be impaled through the heart by his mother's _dory_. Leonidas doesn't remember much of what happened after that, but at some point he realized it was futile to try to convince his mother to flee with him and accepted that she was going to die. He ran through the back door and fled from the house as fast as he could, his bare feet pounding against the stone and dirt.

He didn't look back once.

That is until he heard a faint cry from behind him.

A feminine cry.

His mother had fallen.

His father hadn't arrived to save her like he hoped or like his mother thought. Leonidas grit his teeth as he increased his speed, running ever East towards where his father supposedly was, trying to find some sign of his father's symbol in the darkness.

He was right…

...Love was useless.

 **. . .**

After running for nearly half an hour and being pursued by several hordes of Monsters, Leonidas was tiring and losing ground as he had to continuously fight off the Monsters that got too close. He was an the verge on turning back to face them all to avenge his mother when he heard a great tear in the sky above him, shaking the earth under his feet like a thousand drums were playing at once and causing all of the Monsters to cry out and try to shield themselves from the immense amount of power-radiating light as it shot down like a laser from the rumbling sky and began to burn the horde alive. Leonidas had to shield his own eyes and face the other way to avoid getting caught up in the attack.

"Gaaah!" A Dracaena cried as her flesh started to boil under the shining light. "Nooo!"

"It's the Great One!" A Monster bellowed.

"The divine protector of mankind!" Another shouted in fear, knowing that as a Monster it stood no chance. "Ahhh!"

"Ahhh!" A Cyclops bellow as it's singular eye began to burn under the light.

"Nooo! Not _him!_ " An Empousa cried. " _Noooo!_ "

"Forgive us, slayer of Giants and beasts!" Another Dracaena slithered forward. "We did not know-AHHH!"

The entire army of Monsters were reduced to mere charred ashes when the radiating light increased before finally fading away, Leonidas' eye sight returning after half a minute and causing the boy of twelve to blink his eyes to remove the stars from them as he looked out over the charred ground and uncountable remains of the Monsters as what was left of their bodies burst into golden dust. At Leonidas' feet several weapons burst out of a shining light. He leaned down to inspect them, there was a large, ornate warhammer with a lion's maw for the head, a traditional Spartan _xiphos_ , a _dory_ , a bow and arrow along with twin gauntlets in the shape of lion heads. With a cautious hand, Leonidas went to pick up the warhammer but as soon as his finger touched the glowing wood, the hammer, as well as the other weapons, burst into light and traveled onto his arms and palms and a second later were replaced by radiating tattoos. He looked around him to try to find his father but saw no one around him, until he noticed a green light above his head and looked up. Leonidas' breath stopped when he saw the glowing, hologram of green flaming energy above his head in the shape of a roaring lion's head, the rumble causing the earth under his feet to shake like a army of men were charging at him. The sky boomed and all of the animals of the forest fled from his presence. Then without warning Leonidas fell to his knees, his body in immense pain. It felt like every muscle in his body was on fire as he felt his bones grow denser, his skin grow thicker and his strength increase ten fold. With shaking knees, the boy slowly rose to his feet, inspecting his body with widened eyes, he had grow a few inches taller and was noticeably more muscular.

He had received a Blessing.

His father had finally claimed him.

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 **(AN: Leave a Review and**

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 **(A few minutes earlier - With Sara(Leonidas' mother))**

Sara thrust her _dory_ through the neck of a Cyclops as she used her _hoplon_ to block a Hellhound as it tried to leap at her. She had moved out in front of the house, in order to free herself from the constraints of the narrow doorway and to ensure that no more Monsters entered her house. She twirled around an Empousa and introduced the vile creature to her spear. She danced, dodged and weaved through the horde of Monsters like a professional dancer, her movements quick, graceful and powerful. She had trained every day as a child and teeneager, mastering every form and strike she had been taught, a true prodigy among her fellow soldiers, and it showed. Her four legged mentor would have been proud if he could see her now. The encompassing army stood no chance against a warrior of her caliber, her brilliant mind and lightning fast reflexes were as sharp as the _dory_ she wielded.

Her last stand against the horde would have impressed the likes of the gods themselves if it were not for the magical words her husband set up for her years ago before Leonidas was born to protect them from Monsters and keep other gods from discovering their presence. Truly, she was a natural on the battlefield, a graceful machine of death and destruction, beauty and violence in one person.

'FLIT' 'FLIT' 'FLIT'

She spun quickly on the spot to block several flaming arrows shot at her, only being able to see the projectiles because of the ever-burning Greek Fire flames on their tips. 'FLIT' A fourth, delayed shot managed to escape her notice until she felt the stinging pain of an arrow as it embedded itself into the exposed skin of her upper arm in between the pieces of armor. She winced at the pain as she gripped the shaft of the arrow with her teeth and ripped it from her skin as she defended against a Hellhound with her _dory_ and _hoplon_.

When she got a free second she tore the still burning, Greek Fire engulfed arm bracer and threw it at one of the faces of an approaching Hydra. She could feel her arm weakening as she danced around the monstrous beasts, its never-ending barrage of heads snapping and biting at her, the arrow she took was no doubt laced with Hydra venom, without a cure she had no longer than a few minutes until the toxin seeped into her bloodstream and entered her heart.

More than enough time to deal with this Hydra.

She charged at the demon with her _dory_ out in front of her, attacking the Monster's legs and soft underbelly instead of foolishly trying to cut off the heads without a plan, her mother would have been ashamed if she had. This was not the first Hydra she had ever faced and she knew how to deal with a beast like this. For her husband had slayed such a beast before and had told her of the story when they first met, along with a history book worth of stories, adventures and quests he went on when he was younger.

She ran up the back of the creature and grabbed the flaming part of her armor from earlier and used it to cauterize the bloody flesh of the beast after cutting the heads from it, all the while dodging the never ending array of maws as they desperately tried to swallow her whole.

After the beast fell for the last time she jumped from its body and onto the head of a massive troll, impaling the beast as her armored weight crushed the Monster's head and forced it to meet it's spine. Rising from a roll, she was hit with another arrow, this time hitting her exposed skin on her leg and nearly bringing her to her knees. But she forced herself to fight through the pain and launched herself at the massive horde screaming loud enough to be heard by the gods.

"Gyaaahhh!" She roared as she attacked the Monster, her spear and shield moving like a blur as they cut a swath through the enemy.

But she couldn't last forever, her weakening body had reached its limit and without warning Sara found herself on her knees, coughing blood as the Monsters crept ever closer. "'cough' 'cough' … I am ready. 'cough' For you, my love." She whispered as she wiped the red from her lips, looking to the moon above her. "Let us slay these beasts together." She waited in silence for a few seconds as if she were expecting him to descend from the clouds on a white steed, club over his head as he charged the beasts and came to her aid.

But he didn't come.

"My love?" Her eyes widened as little as they scanned the sky and her voice turned a little worried. "Where _are_ you?" Her voice grew louder, more fearful and panicked. "Let me see you one last time before I die… _please_ , my love. _Please_ …" She scanned the heavens with wide, expectant eyes, looking for her love, waiting for him to come to her aid and see her before she fell to her fate. "...I shall wait then…" With a tight nod to herself, she forced herself to her feet with the assistance of her _Dory_ and _hoplon_ , fighting through her screaming body and shaking vision as she made her way to the small, unassuming gazebo behind the house to wait for her love. This is where she would make her last stand, she promised to wait for him here so she stood that the center of the gazebo as the horde of Monsters crept ever closer. Her vision was nearly gone, her body was numb and she could barely hear the cries around her as a Hellhound lept at her, its gaping maw aimed at her throat.

She thrusted her _dory_ at the Monster but at the last second her wobbly knee gave out under her and she fell to the wooden floor, her _dory_ dropping to the earth just as the Hellhound reached her.

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 **(AN: If we get 10 reviews**

 **I'll put the next chapter**

 **Out a day early!)**

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Chapter 7: Stories of Leonidas: Part 4: The Cost of Strength

 **(Camp Half-Blood)**

It had been several days since he and Leonidas had last talked in his office about Emily and that fact that she was going to die, so Percy was seeking the man out in order to talk more about it and see if there was something Will and the healers, the satyrs, or maybe even the gods could do for her. After not finding the towering twenty one year old man at his usual spot at the training grounds or at the small apartment he had been given, Percy went off in search of him and asked the first person who he came across.

"Hey, Lou." He greeted the daughter of Hecate, walking up to her.

She smiled in greeting. "Hey, Percy. What's up?"

"Have you seen Leonidas?" He asked. "I've been looking for him at the training grounds but I couldn't find him."

The girl nodded, pointing her thumb off into the trees. "I passed by him when when I came back from putting a few more magical wards on the walls around camp." She explained. "He was by Thalia's tree."

Percy's eyes widened slightly, Thalia's tree was at the entrance for the camp. "He wasn't leaving, was he?"

She shook her head, a little confused. "No… _Why_ would he?" She asked, not knowing that Leonidas had left once before. Percy had kept that information secret from the rest of the Council, including Lou, in order to respect Leonidas' privacy.

"No reason." He lied. "What was he doing then?"

"Just sitting on the hill looking over the grass and watching the tree." She told him with a light shrug. "Don't know what he was doing but he's been there for the last week or so whenever I go over there. Why do you ask?"

"Because I need to talk to him."

Her smile faltered a little. "You… uh, might _not_ want to talk to him when he's sitting there." She told him. "He looks like he's thinking and wants to be left alone. He ignores people whenever they try to get close to him."

Percy let out a breath. "Well, it's important. Besides, I think he'll talk to me." He told her, stepping away and heading for Thalia's tree. "I'll talk to you later, Lou."

Percy arrived at the hill that sat next to the tree and spotted a large, bronze-colored, serpentine-headed dragon with yellow eyes sitting at the base of Thalia's tree, lounging in the sun like a large cat. Percy smiled seeing the dragon known as Peleus, with all the work he's had over the past few weeks he hadn't even had time to stop by the young dragon and give his belly a rub. From the corner of his eye, Percy spotted who he was looking for a few dozen or so yards away sitting on the grass about halfway up the hill, watching the tree and it's protector. Letting out a long breath, Percy steeled his nerves and headed for the large man.

Without so much as a greeting Percy dropped onto the grass next to Leonidas, being sure to leave a comfortable distance between them. Percy thought that Leonidas would say something at his arrival but he just continued to keep his gaze focused on the tree. It wasn't until a few minutes had passed that Leonidas spoke.

"I assume that you are here to talk about what we discussed in your office?" His tone was low, tired and seemingly unfeeling. After Percy nodded he continued, letting out a long breath. "Then you would remember that I said that there was nothing you could do… this path… my destiny… is my own."

"But that doesn't mean that other people can't help you along the way." Percy told him, looking up to the clear blue sky above them. "Gods know that I would have never managed to achieve any of the quests I went on by myself. No demigod- _no human_ , can do _everything_ alone." He shot a quick glance to the other man. "That is why we're here, Leonidas. That's why we train, we are _a family_ , we help, look after and love one another."

"I didn't used to believe in love." His words were sudden, causing Percy to double back and look at the man, Leonidas doing the same and looking at Percy. "I did not understand nor believe in the power it held as a child. I didn't experience love until I met the Johnsons and fell for Mary…" His fist clenched in anger, a low growl escaping his lips. "Then they were torn from me by the vile natures of mankind and the gods, my family, the _only love_ I had _ever_ experienced until Emily." He made a scoffing sound as he leaned back on the grass, his large arms behind his head.

"...But now… she's going to be torn from me too." He shot the sky a hate-filled look. "This world, the gods, are _cruel, sinful, corrupt, devilish beings_." He told Percy. "They deserve _nothing less_ than to be struck down for all of the pain they have caused over the millennia. They would see fit to take everything away from me, _again?_ What did _I_ ever do to _them?_ They think that they can control me like this? That I will play along like a puppet on its strings? No." He shook his head to himself, his jaw set tight. "That is why _I_ _must_ achieve my goal before they have the chance to strip what happiness and light I still have inside of my heart."

Percy didn't reply for a full minute, taking in everything Leonidas said. It seemed like he had some personal grudges with a few of the gods, not something Percy could really fault him for, some of the gods were assholes sometimes. "...What _is_ your goal?" He finally asked. "What is your dream?"

Percy didn't miss how Leonidas' eyes scanned to the magical tree. "... A cure…" He finally muttered, his voice soft and empty.

"A cure for _what?_ " Percy asked for clarification. "For whatever Emily has?"

Leonidas lightly shook his head. "No… A cure… for _me_." He brought his hand in front of his face and inspected it like he could see something about it that Percy couldn't. "...I'm dying as well, brother. And if I cannot obtain my goal… then _I_ will die before I have the chance to save _her_."

Percy eyes widened. "...What?"

Leonidas nodded. "My body…" He sat up and examined his arms and legs with his eyes. "Is rejecting my godly abilities." He faced Percy, a sad, tired expression on his face. "Do you have _any_ idea what kind of physical backlash my strength has on my body? I am over four hundred pounds **(181.2kg)** , that is almost all muscle, yes. But it _still_ takes a toll on my body. My body requires several times as much energy and food to maintain my strength than the average person. I have to eat _constantly_ and in order to grow my strength any more I must increase my power output in order to tear my muscle fibers so they can grow back stronger." He picked up a small rock the size of a baseball, inspected it then crushed it in his hand before dropping the remaining dust and pieces to the grass. "I can punch through a tree with ease, lift a boulder over my head, shrug off a bullet to my skin… but it adds up." He held out his arm towards Percy, showing off a large compression brace over his elbow. "My body may be almost indestructible on the outside, but on the inside I am still only a man, _fragile_. It is as if I tear my muscles every time I use them. There is a limit to how much damage the body can take, _even_ for use demigods. It does not matter if I can punch with the force of a semi truck… if my body almost shatters after the hit." He pulled his arm back and removed the brace, revealing a swollen, irritated red elbow that almost made Percy flinch.

"Demigods receive abilities based off what their godly parents can do." He explained, taking a soft ice pack from his bag and putting it on his swollen joint. "You, my brother, have control over the seas, earth and storms, but your body has also adapted to be able to endure your powers. If not then you would drown or be crushed in the depths of the seas, like how the children of Hephaestus can resist heat and fire, and the children of Zeus are immune to electricity, if our demigod bodies were not adapted to our powers then we _would die_. You can control water, some can control plants, the earth, fire… but _I can't_. My godly abilities are _just_ my strength, I _only_ have my superhuman body to work with. Something that I got from my father. The demigod body can adapt to resist cold or heat or electricity, but not the bone-shattering recoil of my strength." He told Percy, pulling a small metal flask from his pocket and taking a quick swig from it, his face contorting in disgust.

"That's what's happening to me." He held the small flask out to show Percy. "Diluted blood from the right side of a Gorgon mixed with Nectar and ginger. A soothsayer I went to in the swamps of Louisiana recommended it. She said that it would slow the process down." His face dropped slightly. "But there is _no_ cure, at least, not a mortal one."

"But what's killing you?" Percy asked, not understanding. "If it's just that you need to hold back from using so much power then-."

"My muscles and ligaments are deteriorating. If I don't find a cure then I will lose so much strength that I will bedridden until I die and everytime I use too much of my strength my body grows weaker. I am like a ticking time bomb." Leonidas cut him off, tossing the small metal flask between his large hands absentmindedly. "When I was a boy, only six years old, I was harvesting materials in the woods beyond my house when I was attacked by a giant, winged boar. I had already slain my first Monster by that time, so I did not fear it, but I had to admit that it was without a doubt the strongest enemy I had fought at the time." He gripped his fist and threw it out in front of him, the air making an audible sound as it was pushed out of the way. "So I brought my fist back and punched the beast with all of my might, thinking that I needed to use that much strength in order to kill it."

"So did you kill it?"

Leonidas nodded once, dropping his arm into his other hand and looking it over. "Yes, but not without a price. I ended up breaking my arm in three places, crushed my wrist back into my arm, nearly reduced the bones in my fingers to dust and completely tore my arm out of its socket." He sent a quick look to Percy, rotating his shoulder a few times. "I can still feel my bones grinding every time I move my arm. I learned then that my strength comes at a cost. My muscles are deteriorating, my right arm is already numb most of the time." He held out his muscular arm and tested his fingers. "All my hand feels now is the resistance when it makes contact with something of substantial weight, but I can't feel heat or cold, except at extreme temperatures. I can't even feel the warmth of the sun, the cool breeze in the shade… or the feel of her touch."

"Do you remember the other day at the Games? During the Weightlifting event?" He asked, testing his hands as Percy nodded. "When I lifted that 800kg **(1763.7lbs)**?"

Percy nodded again, remembering when the entire crowd went silent as they watched Leonidas lift the most weight any human- mortal or demigod- had _ever_ lifted in recorded history. It was _technically possible_ that a demigod hero of old back in Greece had lifted more once on a quest, but they had no proof and considered Leonidas' olympic feat to be the pinnacle of strength in human history. The entire camp was ecstatic and went to congratulate Leonidas, only for him to request to be left alone before stumbling off into his room and disappeared until the award ceremony later that day looking exhausted. Percy eyes widened. "Was _that_ why you left?" He asked the slightly older man. "Because you were in pain?"

The giant man nodded. "Yes." He answered simply. "I only held that weight over my head for, what, ten, fifteen seconds? But I ended up almost pulling a disk in my back," He paused to pat his lower back. "I still feel a twinge of pain from that." He told Percy.

He went on to continue after a few seconds. "The human body is not made to be my size or to have my strength. I don't fit in cars, clothes, doorways, my head almost touches most ceilings, I've broken several chairs just from sitting on them." He picked the metal flask up again and took another swig. "On the outside I look healthy, but on the inside my body is at its limits." He started to hold out his fingers and count on them. "My blood pressure, cholesterol, liver and heart are constantly under an immense deal of stress whenever I lift something like that." He dropped his hand and looked back to Percy. "Whenever I push myself and reach my limits my body goes numb, I've bled from my nose and eyes, my vision goes black and I've passed out in training before." He gave a heavy nod. "But _that's_ what it takes for me to get stronger, no matter what it does to my body. And _that's_ what I'll keep doing until I reach my goal."

"I would compare it to osteoarthritis, neuropathy, or spinal muscular atrophy. Maybe even a combination of the three among several others." He explained to a confused and awed looking Percy, looking up to the clear blue sky above them. "I have traveled all across North America in search for a cure, going to _every_ healer, physician, witch, soothsayer, and even voodoo priestess I could find. _Trying_ to find a cure." He let his hand fall heavily to the grass. "But there isn't one… at least, not one any mortal can give me."

"...But it sounds like you might have found one." Percy told him, thinking back on his specific words, he said that there wasn't a 'mortal' cure. "What is it? If you tell me then we might be able to help, I know a few gods, I might be able to ask a few favors."

"Not unless they can make me immortal." Leonidas' voice was close to being defeated, his eyes moved to the tree and the golden pelt around it. "Have you heard of the Garden of the Hesperides?" He asked.

"Yeah," Percy nodded. "It's where Atlas holds up the sky and where the Tree of Golden Apples is." He told the older man. "I went there once with Annabeth, Thalia, Artemis and one of her hunters when I was still a kid."

Leonidas' eyes widened. "You where _in_ the garden?" He asked, astonished. "And you did not take a Golden Apple and become immortal?"

Percy shook his head. "Well, I didn't really have the chance because I was busy getting my butt handed to me by Atlas, then I had to hold up the sky for Artemis-."

"You held up the sky?" Leonidas' eyes were the size of dinner plates. He was looking at Percy like he was noticing him for the first time. "But only _one_ other mortal has _ever_ held up the sky. It should have been _impossible_."

"Two other mortals." He held up two fingers, correcting Leonidas. "Annabeth held the sky before me, and yeah, it _was_ impossible. I was told that we only survived because of our pure hearts or something like that, if it was a matter of strength? We would have been crushed."

Leonidas wore an contemplative face. "I wonder if _I_ could hold up the sky as well?" He mused under his breath before blinking and facing Percy again. "You do not wish to be immortal, do you, brother?"

Percy shook his head. "Nah, I've been offered it a few times, but it's just not for me." He explained. "Annabeth and I want to grow old and live the rest of our lives together. I don't see the point in living if there's no death."

Leonidas seemed to think over Percy's words for a minute before looking back to the Golden Fleece and the dragon protecting it. "Can I be honest with you, brother?"

"Of course." Percy said quickly.

"...I have been thinking of stealing the Golden Fleece." His words were so unexpected that Percy's breath stopped for a second and he opened his mouth to speak but Leonidas held up a hand to say that he wasn't finished. "It possesses the ability to cure any ailment, with it I could _finally_ reverse the damage done to my body and _easily_ take an Apple of Immortality and ensure that Emily and I live forever." He let out a short, harsh breath, shaking his head like he was upset with himself for thinking it. "But if I were to do that then the camp would be utterly helpless against the Monsters and Titans." He looked to Percy, his eyes not looking to Percy's. "I _couldn't_ sacrifice the lives of all of these innocent demigods in order to save myself. I will _not_ be the cause of any more needless bloodshed. I fight to stand _against_ such needless death, I only chose to take a life when I have _no other choice_." He paused to rub his sore elbow and adjust the ice pack on his arm.

"I have been sat here the last several days trying to talk myself out of going down there and taking it by force. Never has a cure been so so close yet so far out of reach." He let out a breath through his nose. His next words were soft and quiet. "It would be _so_ easy," He mused to himself. "But I couldn't."

Percy weighed what Leonidas said, he was glad Leonidas was being honest with him, even if it _did_ make him a little nervous that he was thinking it. " I'm… I'm glad you were honest, Leonidas." Percy said slowly, looking up to the other man. "Now I know what's been bothering you all this time. But isn't there some other way we can find a cure? What if I talked to Apollo?"

"The gods have been absent for ten months, they would not respond to you." He scoffed suddenly. "Besides, I doubt that any of them would help me."

Percy's brow peaked. "...Why's that?"

He didn't receive an answer for a whole minute however, so he decided to ask something else. "What's your dream?"

Leonidas let out a long breath, laying back on the grass again and looking up to the sky. "...All I wish is to leave all of this behind and live with Emily forever free of the fear of losing her or her losing me." He faced Percy's general direction. "Is that too much to ask? What must I do to achieve that? I would fight _any_ opponent, do _any_ labor, slay _any_ monster, complete _any_ task given to me, even travel to the edge of the world beyond the horizon… _just_ to be able to be with her."

"Tell me about her." Percy requested softly, gesturing for him to start. "What makes her so special?"

He was silent for another minute before answering, his eyes fixed on the passing clouds. "She makes me feel complete." He finally stopped the silence between them. "I had been hurt for _so_ long, and when I met her she accepted me for who I was and was the one to ask to be together." He told Percy, a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

" _She_ asked _you_?" Percy asked, surprised.

"Yeah," His smile was fully formed now. "Truth be told, I did not wish to be in another relationship so soon after… Mary… _passed_." His jaw was a little tight when talking about his first love. "So I ignored all of her advances at first and honestly, though she _had_ saved me, I wanted _nothing_ to do with her. But she's nothing if not persistent." He paused to reposition his arms under his head, a hint of a smile back on his lips. "She made me feel so special and unique and would constantly tell me how handsome or strong I was. It was a little annoying at first, but I grew to love it. After some time I gave in to her constant flattery, offers to sleep together and advances and agreed to date her. She was a little overwhelming at first, honestly, always wanting to know what I was doing, where I was and for me to come home so we could…" He hesitated for a second, a hint of redness washing over his face. "We could… be _intimate_." He finally told Percy, avoiding eye contact when Percy smirked and gave him a good natured punch on the arm. "I don't normally like girls like her, thinking that she was vain and only cared about her beauty or my looks and strength and what I could do for her, but I learned to quickly trust her and we have been together ever since. I'd do _anything_ for her. Whenever she asks me to do something for her I do it without question."

"What is she like?" Percy asked, trying to piece together an image of her, based off what Leonidas just said it sounded like she was a little overwhelming. And, if he were to be _honest_ , like she _might_ just be with him because of his looks and strength. Even Percy, as a straight guy with a girlfriend, had to admit that Leonidas was very handsome, with his square jaw, defined face and muscles, so Percy just hoped that this Emily, whoever she was, actually liked him like he did her. He deserved it after the life he had been through.

Leonidas hesitated slightly. "She is… not like you expect when you see her." He finally said. "On the surface she looks like some airhead supermodel that only cares about her looks, but deep down she is kind, sweet, brilliant, caring and sees the world in a way that I just couldn't imagine until I met her. She's able to look past the ugliness of this world and see the inner beauty in it." He looked to the trees around the camp with a smile. "That is why she enjoys the wilderness so much."

"...When you said that you'd do anything for her…, what do you mean?" Percy was good at a lot of things, but he _wasn't_ subtle despite how much he tried to be. He hoped that Leonidas didn't suspect anything. And based of the look on Leonidas' face as he answered, he didn't.

The giant man shrugged. "What I said, _anything_. I'd do _anything_ for her." He said softly, looking up to the sky. "You would do anything for your love, I would do the same for mine. _Anything_ in order to protect her like I couldn't Mary." His eyes drifted to the East, he spoke, his words so soft and quiet that Percy couldn't hear them as the wind suddenly picked up around the large man, preventing Percy from hearing. "Then I will kill those responsible for hurting her."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, how was the second pair of Leonidas' stories? I don't think that they were as…** _ **intense**_ **as the last one, but still important to his character. What do you think about his dream and goal? What about what he said to Percy at the end? It's official, he's dying just like Emily is, but for completely different reasons that we'll find out later. What do you think he's going to do? Why is he at camp? How will he kill those responsible for hurting Emily?**

 **I hope that this chapter helps those people who don't like Leonidas to get that I thought his character through and gave him a** _ **big**_ **drawback for his strength. If the haters are even still reading, which I honestly doubt. If you have any questions about it I'll be happy to answer them. If I get a lot of them I might post them in my next AN.**

 **So we finally saw how Sara, Leonidas' mom, died. He told us about it way back at the beginning of the story, so don't forget. What do you think of her character? Who is she and how did she get so strong at fighting? We'll be seeing more of her in a few chapters, so I hope all of your questions about her will be answered then.**

 **Let me know how you liked this chapter and answers to any of my question in a Review. Let's see if we can get ten on this chapter.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas' condition can be compared to multiple real life conditions, such as ALS, Guillain-Barré syndrome, muscular dystrophy, neuropathy, osteoarthritis and spinal muscular atrophy among others. He has what can only be described as a deteriorating muscle disease caused by his body not being able to handle the physical strain of his increased strength. He wears joint braces, ices his body constantly and drinks a combination of Nectar, dilated Gorgon blood from the right side of their body and ginger to combat his deteriorating muscle mass.

 **Bonus Fun Fact:** Did you know, that according to the Riordan Wiki at least(and I don't know how much you can trust it as I found several typos) that out of the Seven, that Frank is most likely the strongest in terms of physical, brute strength? It makes some sense though, since he's a son of Mars and combat and strength are their thing. He's also received the Blessing of Mars _twice_ , granting him superhuman strength and near invulnerability like Percy's Curse of Achilles for a short time. I'd have to fact check it before I consider it canon, however. What do you think?

 **Question of the day:** 'What do you think Leonidas' end goal is?' He told us he wants to find a cure, gain immortality and live with Emily forever, but what do you think he's going to do to obtain it? What would he be willing to do? Let me know.


	16. Ch 8: An Intruder In The Night

Chapter 8: An Intruder In The Night

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! What's this? A second chapter in one weekend? Yeah it's shorter than normal but it serves as the start of the pick up for this story. Things will start to get intense in the next chapter and it'll get so insane in ch10 and ch11 that I fear that some of you may just have a heart attack or go catatonic. But enough of that ominous foreshadowing, I have a few things to say before we get to the chapter.**

 **I'll be putting out summaries for the next two PJ Pertemis stories that I have planned later on towards the end of this story so you can all vote on them in a Review or PM. Just for clarification, whichever story wins WON'T be next, as I'm doing a How To Train Your Dragon Story next, but the winner will follow after that. More details to come.**

 **I asked this at the bottom as well, but would you guys be interested if I started a YT channel and made a few videos about characters, abilities, storylines, monsters, stuff like that? And maybe even a death match of sorts where I pit the main characters and some powerful side characters against each other in a fight to the death? I have no experience doing YT but my brother has a microphone I might be able to borrow and he** _ **might**_ **be able to give me some pointers. If any of you have a YT channel and would like to work together on them, let me know, I'd love to work together on this. I have no solid plans yet, this is just an idea I've had for awhile. More info is at the bottom.**

 **Thanks for all of the Reviews last chapter. Can we beat 10 this time? I know we can, I believe in you guys. Have a great day and I'll see you at the bottom.**

* * *

Chapter 8: An Intruder In The Night

 **(June 1, 2011 - Unknown Location)**

Two figures, a man and a woman, slept peacefully next to each other in a darkened, shadowy room. The couple were gently intertwined, hinting that the woman had fallen asleep in the man's soft embrace. He laid on his side, like her. His tanned, toned arms were gently wrapped around her middle, reveling in keeping her as close as possible, even whilst asleep. Her long mane of soft blonde hair laid out on the pillow, tickling his nose whenever he moved in his sleep. But he did not wake, for his dreams had been clearer of visions of his past as of late. So he continued to sleep softly, the love of his life in his arms as they dreamed, unaware that a knife was being used to force the latch of their door to unlock.

A tall, muscular and fit figure clad head to toe in darkness silently stalked into the room, making sure to use it's years of training to keep it's breath and feet silent as it made its way to the bed and the sleeping couple and bringing the blade to point at the sleeping man.

The man on the bed woke silently when an outside force caused him to wake, but kept ever still in his bed not knowing what woke him until he heard the barely audible sound of feet walking behind him. The man, moving as slow as possible as to not be noticed, snaked his out of sight arm under his lover's pillow to reach for the dagger he knew she kept there but found it blocked by the weight of her head. His gut telling him that he had little time until an attack, the man sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening and with a quick motion threw his partner from the bed away from the intruder -causing her let out a undignified shriek as she fell to the floor with a 'thud'-, reached under her pillow, grabbed the dagger and turned around to block an incoming dagger from his attacker.

"Eeep!" The woman shrieked as she fell.

'T'ching!' The two blades struck as the man jumped to his feet and tackled his attacker into the wall. 'Thud!' The wall of the apartment shook as the large intruder was slammed into the wall.

The woman started to climb to knees, calling to her partner only to be interrupted by his shout. "Wha-?"

"Stay down, Annabeth! Someone's- _aaack!_ " Percy yelled as the attacker used the brief distraction to strike him in the neck with outstretched fingers, causing him to gag before being thrown against the heavy wooden headboard of the bed.

Pulling back his arm, Percy launched his fist at his mystery attacker and felt his opponent's nose crumble from the strike and sent the figure stumbling back. "Who are you?!" Percy yelled to the large figure as it climbed to its feet, brandishing a long, slightly glowing curved dagger.

"Percy?" Annabeth called from her spot sat on the floor on the other side of the bed, trying to make out what was going on in the darkness around her. "What's happening?"

"Someone broke in," He answered as he dodged a swipe of the blade and countered with his own but found it hard to keep away in the limited space between the bed and wall. " _Stay down!_ "

Without warning the silent figure threw a small knife towards Annabeth, the daughter of Athena only being saved by Percy's superhuman reflexes due to the boost from the Curse of Achilles. He turned to find the figure swinging the large dagger at him. Assuming that the blade would shatter as soon as it struck his chest, Percy wasn't weary of the blade at let it get closer to his body than he would have ever before, which turned out to be just the plan of his attacker because without warning the tall figure swiped the dagger at Percy and sliced a horizontal streak across his bare chest.

"Aaah!"

Percy grit his teeth in pain as he grabbed the wrist of his attacker and promptly twisted it until the blade was dropped with a shattering sound. Summoning what strength he had at the moment, Percy threw himself at his attacker and slammed the figure into the wall again, but this time embedding the attacker a few inches into the wall and causing paint and debris to fall to the carpet.

After stepping back from his attacker that was currently unmoving sitting in the wall, Percy unceremoniously dropped to his knees, clenching his chest to find, to his utter surprise and horror, his fingers covered in crimson liquid. "Ah, _shit…_ " Percy muttered as his eyes grew heavy and his body went weak.

"Percy?" Annabeth yelled as she made her way to him, keeping a wary eye on the unmoving figure embedded in the wall. "What's wrong?"

" _Poison…_ " He weakly let out through chattering teeth, blood filling his mouth before dumping the crimson liquid on the floor. Annabeth cupped his face as violent spasms shook his body, causing the son of Poseidon to jerk in her arms.

"Percy!" She cried as her love shook on the floor, the long, bloody streak on his chest bubbling as emitting wispy, dark flames danced over the sinister wound. " _Oh gods…_ Percy!" More red liquid dripped from his nose, ears and eyes relentlessly without signs of slowing. Annabeth sent her eyes to the ceiling as she grabbed the bed sheet and tried to use it to stop the bleeding. "Mom! Apollo!" She cried to the ceiling. "Help! Poseidon! _Someone help_!"

The silent intruder began to stir, pulling itself from the wall slowly and almost robotically reaching down to the floor to pick up the glowing, shattered and dripping dagger. "No! Stay back!" Annabeth roared as she grabbed the dagger Percy borrowed from under her pillow and pointed it at the attacker. "Take _one_ more step and I _will kill you_!"

The figure was unfazed as it silently marched towards them, the large dagger in front of them. Annabeth desperately moved Percy behind her as the intruder stalked closer to them, finding it hard to move his more substantial weight. "I said stay back!" She yelled as the man crept closer. "Do you have _any_ idea who we are?" She brandished her dagger at the figure but was ignored. "Do you _expect_ to get out of this camp alive?"

And as if the Fates themselves had decided to intervene right at that moment, their door flew open and a broad shouldered figure tore through the doorway and launched a shimmering spear at the attacker, knocking it back and pinning the figure into the wall through the shoulder, causing the attacker to let out a breathless, muted cry.

Annabeth didn't waste any time and turned to point her dagger at the newcomer only for the light to come on and to find a tall, muscular girl dressed in a pair of pajama shorts with skulls on them and a large, loose fitting muscle tank top. Annabeth blinked, making sure she wasn't seeing things before commanding her friend over. "Clarisse?" She asked questioningly before motioning her over. "Percy's dying!"

Clarisse's hard face dropped as she made her way to her knees next to the daughter of Athena. "Dying?" She asked, appropriately confused as she looked over Percy. "But he's invulnerable- ah… _fuck…_ " She forced out as she saw the nearly foot long, bubbling and smoking crimson streak on Percy's chest.

A second later another person tore into the room, Clarisse's boyfriend, Chris. He took one look around the room and was beside the two girls within a second. "What happened?" He looked to the groaning figure impaled to the wall with Clarisse's electric spear. "Who's that?"

"Doesn't matter right now," Clarisse took command immediately, knowing that Annabeth wasn't in the right state of mind. "Sound the alarm, the camp is under attack! Get Will and every healer we have right now!" With a nod her boyfriend shot out of the room and took off down the hall, yelling so loud that the entire apartment complex of adult demigods woke up.

Not even half a minute later DJ, the eldest member of camp as well as a son of Apollo who lived down the hall ran into the room and dropped beside the two girls as they pressed the blood-stained bed sheets into the large wound. "By the gods…" DJ muttered as he began working, pouring some Nectar on the wound, just as Leonidas entered the room with wide eyes, followed by Will and a few members of his cabin before they quickly got to work.

"Brother?" Leonidas' face went pale as Percy coughed up some more blood before promptly passing out.

oooOooo

"The person who broke in was an Ares camper." Clarisse reported to a man laid out on a stretcher, his girlfriend sat on a chair next to him, their hands intertwined. "...It was Avery."

Percy's eyes widened slowly, a result of his current weakened state. "Avery?" He asked with shock, he had known and gotten along with Avery for years. "Are you sure?"

Clarisse nodded slowly, jutting her thumb to point at another stretcher on the other side of the room, a young man laid unmoving on it dressed in all black clothes, a ski mask laid beside the man on a chair. He was flanked by two guards in full armor as he slept. "Unfortunately. He was conscious but completely unresponsive when we took him in, he wouldn't respond to any questions and his eyes wouldn't track movement, so Clovis put him to sleep so we could work on him safely." She muttered, dropping her hand and letting it hit the bare skin of her thigh, still dressed in nothing but her pajama shorts, rather revealing muscle tank top and not a stitch more, not having had the time to stop by her apartment next to Percy and Annabeth's to grab clothes as they carried Percy's unconscious body to the Big House. "We ripped the mask from his face as Leonidas removed my spear from his shoulder."

"I hope he wasn't too careful." Annabeth muttered under her breath. "Bastard deserves much worse."

They were on the bottom floor of the Big House in the newly remodeled infirmary. It wasn't even an hour until dawn yet but the large room was filled with a half a dozen Apollo campers as they tended to the two new patients along with the still injured demigods. The small apartment complex that the adult demigods lived in became chaotic within a few short minutes as it seemed that every person in camp had heard the news that Percy and Annabeth's apartment had been broken into and that the son of Poseidon was now in the infirmary. Clarisse had taken charge and had ordered that every non-essential camper be escorted to the amphitheater so that Jason, Sherman and several of the Council members could keep an eye on them just in case anyone had tried to escape or try to attack Percy again. So far nobody had tried anything.

Percy let out a cry through gritted teeth, his wound stinging under the bandages. "How… how was I hurt?" Percy asked the two girls, wondering how on earth his _supposedly_ invulnerable skin had been sliced open.

"Ice from the river Styx." Nico spoke up suddenly, walking up to the three flanked by Katie from Demeter and Lou Ellen from Hecate, the second girl having a focused expression on her face as she held her palms open, an orb of swirling liquid inside of a glass container floating an inch or so above her hands. Nico held up the blade that cut Percy with thick gloves used by the Hephaestus kids in the forges. "The blade is made out of Stygian Iron, the _only_ divine metal known to be able to destroy the essence of _whatever_ it kills, be it mortal or immortal. Human, demigod, god or Titan." He explained evenly, pausing to gesture to a sword of the same material attached to his belt. "It's the rarest divine metal and can _only_ be found and created in the Underworld." His face grew tight. "There's _no way_ that some Ares camper obtained this dagger by himself, only children of Hades or Pluto are even supposed to be able to _wield_ it."

"And the Ice from the Styx was what cut him?" Clarisse asked, crossing her muscular arms over her chest.

Nico nodded. "Yeah, best I figured that the only thing capable to counteract the Curse of Achilles would be ice Styxian Ice." He looked over the cured blade. "I've never even _heard_ of Stygian Iron and Styxian Ice being combined, I thought it was impossible." He brought his eyes up to Percy slowly. "Whoever made this _knew_ what they were doing."

"But how did it poison him?" Clarisse asked. "Some kind of dark magic?"

"It was this." Katie stepped forward and gestured to the hovering orb of glass over Lou's open palms. "Gardenia, Lou and I found poison mixed in with the Styxian Ice and managed to extract all of it from the Ice so Lou could contain it."

Annabeth eyed the glass orb warily. "Are you _sure_ that's safe to be carrying around, Lou?" She asked the daughter of Hecate.

Lou nodded carefully, being sure to not move the orb too much. "I'm sure." She confirmed. "A simple little containment charm like this? I could do it in my sleep."

"What kind of poison is it?" Percy asked, sitting up a little in his bed.

This time Katie's face dropped slightly. "Hemlock." She answered, eyeing the swirling mass of liquid. "It's an ancient poison that was used to kill condemned prisoners in Greece." She seemed to weight her next words carefully, taking a few seconds to continue. "We, Nico, Gardenia, Lou and I talked about it, and… with the level of concentration the poison was at, combined with the sophisticated combination of the Stygian Iron, Styxian Ice and Hemlock poison… there's _no way_ that this dagger was made by a demigod."

"Meaning that _a god_ had to make the dagger and give it to Avery." Nico finished, causing the other three to go silent as they took it in. A god had given Avery the dagger… Meaning that Zeus and Ares were trying to kill Percy again.

"Call the Council." Percy said suddenly, looking towards Clarisse. "Tell them what happened but order them to keep it to themselves. We need to figure out what to do."

"What you're gonna do is lay back down and get some rest." Will ordered suddenly, walking up the the small group. "You nearly _died_ , Percy." He stressed the word, pushing Percy's shoulder to make him lay down. "The Council can talk without you. Right now, _you need to rest_ , the Nectar, Ambrosia and antidote have done their job, luckily Lou was able to extract the poison from your bloodstream and used her mother's magic to heal you, but getting up and moving around right now can cause any unseen poison to attack your heart again."

Percy nodded stiffly, letting out a breath. "Fine, but I want every camper assembled at the amphitheater at noon so we can tell them what happened." Percy relented as he laid back into his pillow and let Annabeth put a blanket over him. He faced Clarisse. "Let the campers go back to their cabins, the sun's not even up yet. Let them sleep. But set up some sentries you trust around camp. I want to know if anyone tries anything."

"I'm on it, Percy." Clarisse nodded before gesturing for the rest of the group to follow her out of the Big House, leaving Percy and Annabeth to try to get as much sleep as they can in the infirmary.

oooOooo

 **(AN: Please follow me on Twitter)**

oooOooo

 **(Later that afternoon - Amphitheater)**

The entire camp was assembled in the stone seat of the amphitheater, circled around the stone floor quietly waiting for someone to tell them what was going on. The Council members, bar Clarisse and Percy, were all sat on wooden benches behind the wooden podium set up for the aforementioned son of Poseidon. Several of the oldest and strongest Ares guards were stationed at the base of the stage as well as flanking the Council members, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by the campers and made them even more curious as to what was going on.

A minute later Percy made his way onto the stage, flanked by Clarisse adorned in her full armor but carrying her boar-tusk helmet in her left hand as her right held her electric spear. If the campers _weren't_ nervous before, they were _now_. After getting the crowd to quiet down, Percy started. "Thank you everyone for following the directions of your cabin leaders and assembling here. I'm sure that you all have questions, but as the Council is still investigating what happened, we cannot give you all of the information at this time." Several voices broke out at this, Percy putting a hand up to silence them.

"Early this morning," He went on with stride, ignoring the claims of unfairness. "Annabeth and I's apartment was broken into… The person, who we will _not_ be naming yet, attempted to kill me."

This time the entire crowd of demigods broke into shouts, all asking who it was, if it was a Monster or a million other things. Clarisse slammed the butt of her spear against the stone stage, silencing the crowd. "Shut up, the lot of ya!" She yelled over the crowd, narrowing her eyes at them. "Go ahead, Prissy." She nodded to Percy.

He nodded in thanks and faced the crowd. "I want all of you to know that I am fine, and so is Annabeth." He pointed to his girlfriend that sat among the first row of stone seats around the stage. "Luckily Clarisse arrived in time to fight off the intruder and call the healers." His voice turned more serious, dropping a little in tone. "Camp Half-Blood is under attack by an as of yet unknown enemy. With the gods still silent and Chiron not here we must do as we have done before and protect our home, be it from mortal or _immortal_ threat." He glanced up to the sky as a low, almost inaudible rumble went off above them. Percy not knowing if anyone besides maybe Jason being able to detect it. Zeus, it seemed, was listening and did not appreciate his words.

"As of now, the threat level of camp is being raised from _gamma_ to _beta_." He told the camp seriously. The camp had five threat levels based off of the level of danger ranging from the bottom, _epsilon,_ then increased in danger with _delta, gamma, beta_ and _alpha_. With _alpha_ being the highest threat level and only ever being used during times of engaged war like during The battle of Manhattan and the Titan Wars. Percy continued to talk to the campers, unaware of two of the Ares guards nearest them as they started to slowly make their way towards Percy and Clarisse, that is, until one of the Ares campers lunged at the pair, her sword raised at Percy's back.

"Look out!" Clarisse yelled, throwing Percy off to the side and aiming her spear at the sudden attacker, donning her boar shaped helmet. The entire crowd broke out in panic as the Ares guard launched herself wildly at Clarisse in order to get at Percy.

Then without warning the second Ares guard jumped at Percy sword first, to only find it's blade caught in the hand of a giant man as he appeared in between Percy and his attacker. "Leonidas?" Percy asked with wide eyes as the son of Sparta had leapt from his seat in the first row and caught the blade of the sword in his hand before swiftly snapping said blade in his hand and throwing the Ares camper to the ground and promptly pinning them under his immense weight.

"Lou, put up a barrier!" Clarisse ordered as she too brought her opponent to the ground. "Don't let anyone see in or get through!" Lou Ellen Blackstone of Hecate ran up the the front of the stage, mumbling under her breath before throwing up her hands in an array of signs, causing a tall, swirling mass of darkness to cover the boundaries of the stone stage to prevent any of the campers to see inside and hiding what was happening. Once the barrier was set up, she dropped her hands to her knees in order to catch her breath as Jason ordered that the rest of the Ares guards on the stage to drop their weapons, they did so reluctantly once Clarisse repeated the order.

"What's going on?" Leo asked, rising from his seat as the others did the same, but kept their distance when Clarisse pointed her spear at the crowd of approaching Council leaders just in case any of them tried to attack Percy.

Percy rose to his feet and held up and hand to the group, silencing them. He walked over the the demigod Jason had his sword pointed at and removed her helmet, revealing Joan, another one of Percy's closest friends from Ares. "Joan?" Percy asked in disbelief. " _Why_ would you do this?"

The girl only growled and snapped at him like a feral animal, trying to attack Percy only to be grabbed from behind by Travis and Pollux and tied up by son rope courtesy of Leo's magic toolbelt. "I'm sensing a low level godly presence around us. An aura." Lou Ellen spoke up, walking up to Percy, her face tensed as she waved her hands in the air, seemingly detecting something. "A god was here."

"Any idea who it was?" Piper asked?

"It was my dad." Clarisse spoke up before Lou could answer, stepping up to Percy and looking up to the sky. "I'd recognize that feeling of rage and bloodlust anywhere."

"Ares was trying to kill Percy?" Katie asked, confused. "Why?"

"No idea." Percy lied quickly before anyone could say anything. "But we need to confine the Ares cabin just in case." He looked to Sherman with an apologetic look before turning to a narrowed eyed Clarisse. "I hate to treat your entire cabin as criminals, but if your dad was somehow able to get them to attack us, then we're better safe than sorry."

"Their minds are clouded, milky as if they are not in control." Clovis the son of Hypnos spoke up suddenly. Cautiously waddling over to a Joan that was biting at everything that moved and wildly trying to move despite being tied up. "An outside force is controlling their minds. I can sense the blankness of their minds," He looked to Percy. "It is as if they are sleeping while awake."

"Can you do something about it?" Percy asked the bovine looking boy.

Clovis nodded slowly before dropping to a knee and gently putting his hand against the back of her head as he used his other to snap in front of her face and without warning the raving girl fell into a deep slumber. Once the girl was safely laid on the ground he held his hand an inch or so over her still face and closed his eyes. "I have put her to sleep to help remove the control over her mind, but I cannot promise that she won't still be under control when she wakes." He opened his eyes to look at Percy who was now standing next to him over Joan. "I can help clear the mind of memories, dreams and pain, but I have _no_ idea if I can fight against the power of a god."

"Just do what you can." Percy told him before nodding to the other Ares camper Leonidas still had pinned to the floor. "And put Mark to sleep as well, try to make them forget what happened if you can."

"If he can't make them forget, then I'll do it." Lou offered. "My cabin specializes in this kind of stuff, I can wipe someone's memory in my sleep."

"Then do it." Percy nodded to the two as Lou bent over the sleeping Joan and started mumbling to herself as Clovis waddled over to Mark, snapping his fingers in front of the camper's face and causing him to fall asleep.

" _Remarkable_." Leonidas muttered as he watched Clovis as he waved his hand over Mark's sleeping face. "You can cause someone to sleep with _just two fingers_." He looked to the young man like he was seeing him for the first time, since this was the first time Clovis had ever used his powers in front of him, a true rarity at camp, really. "Your power is immense… you have _such_ potential."

Clovis blinked, taken back by the sudden and weird comment. "Uh, thanks?" He looked back to the demigod he was working on. "People are always doubting the strength of my cabin," He shrugged nonchalantly like it wasn't a big deal. "I could probably make the entire camp sleep if I wanted."

" _Astonishing_." Leonidas mumbled to himself as he rose to his feet, watching the son of Hypnos with an intense interest.

"What's the plan, Percy?" Jason asked the son of Poseidon.

Percy let out a breath, looking at the group of twenty three other Council members and opened his mouth to speak only for Lou to suddenly interrupt him. "Someone's at the gate of camp." She said quickly, looking to Percy as she held her head with four fingers. "The magical wards I set up are going off."

"Any idea who it is?" He asked worriedly, he was so _not_ in the mood for another attack.

Lou shook her head and looked to the daughter of Iris. "Can you see who it is, Amethyst?"

Said daughter of Iris closed her eyes to concentrate for a few seconds before a light mist appeared before her. The picture was blurry for the first few seconds but quickly became clear. A lithe young girl with a short pixie cut dressed in a silver cloak was standing at the gate. "It's Thalia." She told everyone, Percy walking up to the IM and calling out to his cousin.

"Thalia?" He called to her.

The daughter of Zeus looked around her for a few seconds before finding them through the IM. She looked around Percy and saw the mayhem going on behind him. Two campers were tied up and asleep, Clarisse was in her full armor and a giant, abyss-black wall was formed around them. "...Is this a bad time?"

oooOooo

 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review,**

 **Let's try to beat 10 this time!)**

oooOooo

 **(June 1, 2011 - A paint-stained cave)**

A figure with a frizzy, fiery mane of hair and multi-colored toes stepped back from the coarse cave wall it has been painting on for the last three days without stopping, eating or sleeping. Its tall, slim body shook with extreme tiredness and pain, its piercing emerald eyes barely able to focus as its head swayed to and fro methodically. The purple and golden painted, stony canvas was finally done after nearly two months of constant, methodical work, the figure _finally_ being able to see the victor of that battle in its head.

The figure let its eyes roam over the fierce blotches and streaks of gold scattered over the stony walls. The purple masses that had once been fighting equally for control and victory had finally succumbed to the shimmering gold paint.

At the center of the wall a giant golden figure stood, its body reaching from smoothed stone floor to stalactite covered ceiling. It was enormous in both height and width, its body was clad in shimmering fur and it held two broken pieces of a long, mighty club over its head in victory, one piece in each hand. On top of its head sat a mane of shimmering light that resembled a wild mane of hair. It towered over a fallen figure adorned in flowing, regal purple robes laying on the ground in defeat, two titanic stone pillars on either side on it. An ethereal, glowing aura of soft golden red shown around the victorious figure, making the golden man-beast look like he was stepping out of the breaking dawn.

The duel was over. The golden man-beast had killed the purple giant and would soon be looking for its next opponent.

"Oh no…" The mass of fiery red hair mumbled as it's emerald orbs glanced upwards to the painted stony ceiling above it. The figure stumbled to the wall, grabbed the torch from its holder and held the light up to the ceiling to fully see what it had painted without knowing it. Once the slim figure's eyes landed on the ceiling above it, all of the breath left her lungs as she saw the dazzling display of colors, hues, shapes and figures shown in an endless dance as they battled for victory. The young woman's eyes froze when they saw the same golden man-beast standing over the orange and light green man with the pronged weapon, aiming a killing shot.

The young woman dropped her paint brushes as the ever changing mural danced above her, the two figures fighting to the death. "...I _need_ to warn them…" The girl mumbled under her breath before blinking and realizing the situation and rushing to the entrance of her cave only to be stopped when a soft reddish golden hue -the _same_ color that was surrounding the victorious golden figure on her wall- appeared in front of her and without warning a sudden gust of wind knocked the young woman to her feet.

The young woman, otherwise known as Rachel Elizabeth Dare, weakly struggled to her shaking feet just as a shimmering silhouette of a lithe figure stepped out of the radiating rainbow of soft red and golden hues like the morning sky, revealing a tall, regal, enchantingly beautiful woman adorned in a shimmering, flowing dress of thousands of different shades of red, gold, orange, yellow, purple and soft pink that swirled together around her like the clothing was conjured from the very sky. The breathtaking woman hovered over the stone floor with unmoving golden red hued feathery wings that made her appear angelic. Immense, indescribably intense waves of power and light radiated from her very being, causing Rachel to stumble to her knees and cover her eyes to avoid being blinded by the shimmering rainbow of colors that seemed to emanate from the willowy woman.

"I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to interfere, young Oracle." The stunning woman spoke suddenly, her voice melodious, soft, warm and inviting. But Rachel's instinct told her to fear the woman's voice, her voice made Rachel's eyes drop like the calmness of her voice was enough to lure one to sleep.

Without warning the temperature in the cave -that was once a soft, comfortable warm when she entered- turned bone-chilling cold, causing all of the water in the cave to turn to ice and for the very walls and floor to be coated with frost. Rachel shivered unconsciously as her hair stiffened as ice began to freeze her frizzy mane of hair to the frozen, stone floor. The terrifyingly calm woman glided over to face Rachel, the air becoming thick with the strong smell of sweet saffron as the winds picked up around her. "My champion must not be interrupted _nor_ discovered… until the time is right." Her voice was charming and soothing like a lullaby and made Rachel's terrified mind calm as the never ending array of hues emitted from the woman like a kaleidoscope of an enchanting dawn.

"Sleep now, young one…" She purred, her voice silky smooth as Rachel's blinking eyes struggled to remain open. "And when you wake… tell your friend to heed my previous warning. I did _not_ promise to save him a second time should he interfere with my champion… Tell Perseus to _not_ challenge my champion, I have ordered him to do _anything_ to win… and my Leonidas would _never_ fail me."

Then without warning Rachel fell to the cold, frozen earth, asleep.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **DUN DUN DUNNN! How was that for dramatic? Yeah, I have no problems leaving you all on that cliffhanger. If Uncle Rick could do it with Percy and Annabeth falling into** _ **Tartarus**_ **then I can do it here.**

 **The story is going to be picking up now until the climax of the story, man, I can't wait to get there. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, as well as what's going on with the Ares campers, what you think Rachel saw in her vision as well as who the mysterious woman was. If you all don't remember, she appeared in the 3rd Prequel chapter, she was the woman who saved Percy from the Earth Deity and brought him back to life.**

 **Next chapter will be the next** _ **and**_ **last set of 'Stories of Leonidas'. We'll get to learn who the woman is as well as learn his goals and plans. Don't know when it'll be out as this one went up really early, but give me a lot of Reviews and I'll be motivated to get it out as soon as I finish it.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas doesn't have much experience with the other gender except his mother, his first crush Mary and his current girlfriend Emily. Which results in the big guy getting flustered around girls sometimes, such as Mika when they spar or wrestle. He doesn't like girls flirting with him, though, _especially_ daughters of Aphrodite or Hecate, because he's in a relationship and wants to stay faithful as well as doesn't like their ability to control the mind of others.

 **Question of the day:** 'If I created a Youtube Channel and made a few videos discussing different demigods, storylines, abilities, etc would you be interested and watch them?' I've been thinking for a while about starting a YT channel and doing a few videos about Percy Jackson. I like the idea of researching the main cast and several other demigod powerful side characters and putting them against each other in a fight. I won't be able to have animation or show an actual fight or anything, but I'll give descriptions of each person and say where I think they would be in the rankings. I've never made a YT video before and I have no solid plans as of yet, but if some of you'd be interest I just might do it. Don't know when they'll be out as I spend most of my free time on this story and because I don't know what I'm doing. If any of you have a YT channel and experience making videos and would be interested in working together, PM me and let me know. I don't think they'll be very serious, I just want to have some fun as I talk about my favorite characters and series. Let me know.


	17. Ch 9: Stories of Leonidas: Part 5

Chapter 9 Part 1: Stories of Leonidas: Part 5: An Angel In The Morning Sky

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! SOOO sorry for the long delay getting this chapter out. Many things happened but I'll try to keep it short. Among with me starting up two old games I used to play, Conan Exiles and Ark: Survival Evolved, I downloaded a 3d modeling software in order to help me come up with looks for Leonidas as well as the mysterious woman that we'll be seeing in this chapter. But also, this chapter was just the most difficult to write yet, I had such bad writers block that I would just sit staring at the screen not knowing what to write then just click off the page and do something else. I'll try to keep on my updates from here on out. But keep on me about it.**

 **Follow me on Twitter if you have one, I put out Polls, updates and random nerdy stuff. Thanks to all of you who recently followed me. Same name as on here.**

 **We got a surprisingly low number of views and Reviews last chapter, did I do something wrong? Was it bad? Did you guys just not see it? Let me know. Let's try to beat 10 Reviews this chapter, I believe in you guys.**

 **A heads up for this chapter, try to keep an open mind about relationships between mortals and immortals going forward. I know a lot of people ship Percy or other demigods with gods, but some people may just find it weird. Sorry if you do, but it's important to the story. You'll understand when you read it and further on, trust me.**

 **Anyway, that's long enough, have a great day and I'll see you below.**

* * *

Chapter 9 Part 1: Stories of Leonidas: Part 5: An Angel In The Morning Sky

 **(2007 - Leonidas 16 years old)**

It had been four years since his mother had ceased to exist. Since his house had been destroyed. Since he had been driven away in fear.

It had been a year since his family, the Johnsons, had ceased to exist. Since he had destroyed his home in his rage. Since he had ran away in shame.

That was why he had decided on his current path.

His mother- not mom, for moms loved their children and Mrs. Johnson, Cheryl, loved him like a son. Unlike his own mother who never told him she even liked him- had told him before she died to travel East to meet his father where he would grant him with a gift. So he did so. He traveled East and his father bestowed on him four enchanted weapons, his warhammer, _dory_ , _xiphos_ , and longbow. Along with a pair of enchanted gauntlets that multiplied his already immense strength by ten but posed a great risk to the health and condition of his body in return. A true double-edged weapon.

But his father never appeared in person. He didn't come down from the sky to hold his child and comfort him after his mother had died. He didn't ignore his godly duties to offer to train his son. He didn't even utter a single word to his son. He only granted his son with enchanted weapons. One could say that he had given Leonidas the weapons in order for his son to be able to protect himself due to his demigod scent matching those of the children of the Big Three, so that Leonidas wouldn't die in the night alone like his mother did. But Leonidas believed that it was out of guilt that his father had granted him the weapons, because his father felt sorry that his mother had died despite not lifting a finger to save her.

But Leonidas didn't need his guilt. Or his pity. Nor his apology. Only his power to achieve his goals.

Before she died, his mother told him his destiny. His Fate. She told him that he would achieve a feat above _any_ man _or_ god before him. That he would reunite with his father one day, climb Mount Olympus to claim his dreams and rise into the sky and live among the stars forever. He had meditated and debated on the meaning of the words his mother told him for years after she died as he traveled the country hunting Monsters and mastering his strength and skills. And after four years of constant reflection he had finally come to the conclusion. He had figured out what he was destined to do:

He would travel back East- further than he had _ever_ gone before- past the sea and into the old world and meet his father for the first time. And kill him.

But not out of hatred or a need for revenge, his bitterness for that man had died many years ago, but in order to lay the foundation for what he must do. Besides, his father was _still_ a god, he would just simply reform after a few decades and return to the earth. So no harm would _actually_ be done, it wasn't a _real_ murder in his mind. He knew that he _had_ to do this in order to not only prove his might to his father and to himself, but to the pantheon as well. The gods of old shall bow to him one day, that is what his mother told him. They had ruled for _far_ too long and had caused _far_ too much strife, bloodshed and pain throughout the world to be let to run around unchecked any more. Ares, the god of War, his name being 'bane' or 'ruin', lived up to the name. He filled the hearts of mortals with violence, bloodlust, hatred and an undesirable need for murder.

And no scene better portrayed that than the one before Leonidas now. He stood in a windy, dark and damp alleyway in the Chicago warehouse district. The smoky and over-polluted air was thick with the sickening stench of blood, the air so thick with it that Leonidas could taste the iron off of the breeze. He stepped out of the alley and over the body of a hole-ridden corpse.

A violent gang war over a drug empire gone wrong, that's what the news called it. But Leonidas _knew_ the truth, he had sensed the incredible, insatiable amount of bloodlust and rage from the outskirts of the city and went off to investigate.

He found one hundred and seventy two men, women and children dead in a twelve block area. The local government, seemingly influenced by the War god, declared the situation a tragedy but otherwise looked the other way and quickly forgot that one hundred and seventy two people had just died in their city. In order for the War god to not be blamed or for the authorities to look into the mass murder, no doubt.

But Leonidas knew better. He examined every single body he could find, looking for _any_ indication that Ares was behind this. It took looking through eighty four bodies, but he _finally_ found it, a charred, radiating brand of a boar, Ares' symbol and sacred animal on the back of the neck of the gang's leader no less.

 _Ares_ had provoked the gang. _He_ had fueled the flames of war once again. _He_ was responsible for another horrid amount of deaths. He was _too dangerous_ to let live _any_ longer.

So Leonidas was going to kill him and cause him to Fade into the Void, the empty _nothingness_ that all things once came, beyond the reaches of even _Chaos_ herself. Where Ares, and _any other god_ Leonidas threw into it, _couldn't_ _ever_ come back. _That_ was his destiny. _That_ was his Fate. _That_ is why the Fates constantly showed and surrounded him with death and destruction. _That_ is why they forced him to watch as the only four people he had ever loved be murdered before his eyes. They were _training_ him. _Preparing_ him for what _had_ to be done. That is what he believed, and that is what he was going to do.

He was going to kill the god of War, cause him to Fade forever and remove all senses of war, bloodlust, hatred and violence from the world once and for all. The delicate balance of the world, the natural order of things, would teeter for a while after one of the Olympians died, yes, but it would soon right itself like it had uncountable times before when Primordials, Titans and other gods had Faded into the Void. The world, like it _always_ had, would soon rebalance itself and humanity would not have to live under the control of War and Ares anymore. The world would be better off without War.

Likewise as with Ares, Aphrodite was _far_ too dangerous to let live. She was- in Leonidas' opinion- _far_ greater of a threat than Ares. The god of War could ensue panic, fear, strife and bloodlust upon the earth, but the vile seductress goddess could mold, infiltrate and control the minds of men to an unfathomable degree above _any_ other god in history. She and her Domain, were responsible for the death of his mother, along with the current pain in his heart after seeing Mary and his family gunned down in front of him.

Aphrodite was the goddess of love, and love was useless. Therefore she had no reason to exist. So he would kill her, cause her to Fade and usher in a new, never ending era of peace in the world.

Leonidas had seen the effects of so called 'love' numerous times on his journeys. In Toas, New Mexico, he had stumbled upon a human trafficking ring that was abducting young girls and selling them as prostitutes and pleasure slaves across the border. One night while he was camping in the desert a young girl, barely over the age of fourteen, had stumbled into his camp, half naked, starved and beaten, having just escaped her hell and been wandering the scorching sands for the past three days. She was afraid of him at first, having just ran from men, but he promptly fed and clothed her, telling her that he would protect her from the men chasing her. After letting her rest, he talked to the younger girl and she told him of the horrors that she and the other girls had to face, while he told her of his own experiences in Las Vegas with the Empousa without revealing anything about the Greek world. She seemed to not fear him anymore when she learned that he had similar experiences to her. He had been submitted to the evils of the world as well. He was a victim like her, but he had to strength to do something about it.

He infiltrated the compound the next night, tore the walls of the warehouse down, liberated the young girls, and killed all of the men in a bloody, blind rage. Except for the leader of the group, that man, he chained to a cement slab in the desert, and like Prometheus before him, left the man to be eaten alive by the ravens for days, supplying him with food and water to keep his half eaten body from dying before finally letting him succumb to his wounds and dying a week later. He got far better than what _Hades_ had in store for him, in Leonidas' opinion.

Aphrodite was not only the goddess of Love. Leonidas learned that long ago, but also Lust, Passion and Sexual Longing. _She_ was responsible for the barbaric treatment of the young girls in the human trafficking ring. _She_ filled the hearts of the men with lust and lecherous intent. _She_ was the reason why all of those girls- and himself- had been used as toys of pleasure by those who had power over them. Aphrodite's 'love', was the cause of _far_ more destruction and pain in the world than Ares and War. So Leonidas set to kill them both. He had been shown and forced to experience everything in his life to help him reach this conclusion, _he was sure of it._ The Fates had crafted his destiny in such a way that _he_ would be the man to _finally_ remove all needless Love and War from the world.

For the first time in history, be it mortal or immortal, the world would _finally_ enter a never ending time of peace. The world would _finally_ be saved and humanity would be better off. All he had to do was kill Love and War.

But a goal like that was not easily achieved, Leonidas knew that. So he had trained every day for the past four years, learning _everything_ there was to know about the gods, war and strategy. But killing the god of War in combat was easier said than done, so he left the minefield of bodies and traveled back into the woods, content to wait until he was ready to face a god. He had decided a long time ago that he would have to work his way up facing stronger and stronger opponents in order to challenge Olympus and kill Ares and Aphrodite. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that the other gods would not sit idly by and let him, a _mere mortal_ , kill one of their own. So he would need to somehow be able to stand against all of them, but how he was going to go about that, he did not know. He was still waiting for a revelation from the Fates.

oooOooo

 **(AN: We only got 1 Review last time,**

 **How many Reviews can we get this time?**

 **I believe in you guys, you can do it!)**

oooOooo

 **(May 7, 2007 - Somewhere in the forests of Maine)**

It seemed that the Fate Sisters had once again heard his silent plea and presented him with a means to achieve his goals, the goals and Fate _they_ had set out for him. It was not even a few months after inwardly declaring that he was going to kill Love and War that the Fates bestowed on him the means to do so in the form of an angel in the morning sky.

 **. . .**

In every direction the horizon was clouded with eerie darkness; the falling sun's rufescent blaze illuminated a grotesque, twisted horde. The cool evening breeze brought with it the sickening stench of rot and blood across the field.

Cyclops, Empusa, Dracaena, Hellhounds alongside grinning giants, their lips dripping foul liquid.

It was an army of Monsters. An army of the dark.

Another small town had just been destroyed in his attempts to cure the world of them. A young man of only sixteen, confronted with this army of _Tartarus_ , rubbed his stiff shoulder. His Nemean Lion Skin cloak he carried was light as a feather to him, so it must be his weakening body. The high price of his gods-given strength.

The army of darkness had spread itself out across a small hill on the outskirts of the once thriving town. They stood, by the countless dozens, waiting for him as they had almost everyday since he had fled his mother's house four years ago. Ever on the hunt for the mortal teen that slaughtered them by the hundreds, greedy and hungry for revenge.

Whether he had any hope of winning was _not_ the question.

Victory was his _only_ option.

He had been given a great destiny from the Fates, a goal to achieve and presented with a world to save. Failure was _not_ an option for him. If he was destined to one day save the world then this small army of Monsters was _nothing_ but a small inconvenience. He wouldn't die tonight, he _wouldn't_ allow it. The entirety of humanity was counting on _him_ to save them from War and Love.

So he charged at the grotesque army, warhammer swinging over his head wildly. With every arrow his cloak deflected, every club or sword he blocked and beast he tackled or struck, his rage for the Monsters grew. And soon, he once again lost himself to his father's curse.

He tore through his enemy's ranks, cleaving limb from body, smashing bone and shield with his hammer and fists, and ripped heads from their bodies. This army had just destroyed another small town, killing a hundred innocent people, so he was going to kill them for it.

He dashed to meet his next opponent, bringing his mighty warhammer down on the Cyclops' shattering skull. He intercepted a punch from the Minotaur, catching the wild swing and promptly snapping the beast's arm behind it's back before throwing it to the ground and crushing it with his hammer.

He fought like that for the next few hours into the night. But he was foolish back then, when he was young. He did not pay enough attention to the position or cycle of the moon to realize that the heavenly body was full. And full moons brought with it Lycaon and his sons.

"HrrrROOOO!"

Leonidas didn't hear the cries of the wolves until they had already surrounded him in the pitch darkness. And without warning he found the wolves attacking his legs, trying to drive him to the ground. "Ahhh!" He let out a cry of pain when a jaw of a massive wolf gripped onto his bare arm, thrashing it's head and trying to tear into his bone and muscle, but finding Leonidas' skin too tough to bite into easily.

He grabbed the wolf with his other hand and dug his fingers into the eye sockets of the beast and lifted the creature off of his arm and threw it into one of his brothers. The monstrous wolves, along with the endless stream of creatures of the night, were taking their toll on the sixteen year old. He dropped to one knee when a massive Hellhound the size of a lion jumped on his back and attempted to rip into the back of his neck, but found its teeth shattered from the Nemean Lion Skin.

It wasn't until the earliest hours of the morning that he finally sliced through the last remaining Empousa, reveling in killing the devilish enchantress before dropping to his back on the dirt and finally succumbing to his immense exhaustion and injuries and falling into the realm of Hypnos, unaware that he was being watched by a set of ever-changing colored eyes in the clouds with insatiable interest.

oooOooo

When he woke he was in tremendous pain, though it was dulled, but that was _not_ what startled him or caused him to jump to his feet and bring his fists ready to fight, it was the sight of a wooden roof above him when he _knew_ for sure that he fallen asleep in the woods.

"Gaah!" He jumped to his feet to only find his legs weak and promptly fell to a knee, clutching his chest in pain. Blinking through the pain, he scanned the room around him, taking in every piece of information at once that he could. He was in a small log cottage, simply furnished with only the bare necessities, but still warm and cozy. He had be laid on a large, soft bed that took up half of the small room. Against a large windowsill- that was crafted out of shaped, natural branches, like the structure was constructed out of living materials and not a single piece of it looked like it had been cut from a tree- were several large, fluffy throw pillows set up so one could sit on the windowsill and look off onto the large, shimmering, crystal clear ocean behind the rustic cottage. He did not see any sign of modern technology in the room, however, there were no electrical outlets, phones, tv, or even light fixtures. The room instead being illuminated by some unseen, warm light that Leonidas couldn't find but was otherwise not bothered to think about with his mind in it's clouded state.

He didn't know where he was or how he got here, and that worried him. He could have been killed in his sleep for all he knew. He chided himself, he should have found a safe place to sleep before succumbing to his injuries. His eyes scanned the room again and stopped when they fell upon a small, shaped wooden table with a delicate, china plate with a fresh, steaming potato, a folded piece of pita bread next to a small bowl of some kind of white purée or yogurt beside a steaming cup of tea. He was about to summon his _xiphos_ and escape when the door to the small room opened behind him, the scent of sweet saffron coming with it.

"Oh my, you're awake." He turned to find a tall and slender, enchantingly beautiful svelte girl of about seventeen or eighteen years, though her age was hard to determine due to her youthful face that greatly contradicted her tall, lithe, willowy frame and rather generous proportions in the rear and bust. She was rather impressively just two or so inches shorter than him at the time, about six three(191cm), with an elegant, soft face with rosy, almost constantly blushing cheeks. She had full, lush pinkish-blonde hair braided into an elaborate crown above her forehead with wild flowers weaved into the strands that tucked her long hair back to let it fall freely down her back to her voluptuous hips. With a small tiara adorning her forehead with a small, star-like gem at the center. She had long, shapely legs that seemed to go on for miles that finally ended at the floor connected to petite bare feet and bright pink painted toes. She was dressed in a light pink, long sleeved blouse with large ruffles that went past her hands and showed off one delicate shoulder and swayed down to her mid thigh, showing off her long, curvy legs. She gave off a soothing aura that stunned Leonidas for a few seconds before he managed to come to his senses, shaking his head and eyeing her suspiciously.

"Where am I?" He demanded without so much as a greeting. "Who are you?"

The young, strawberry-blonde haired woman seemingly wasn't bothered by his aggressive tone or demeanor because she simply stepped into the room carrying a china plate, somehow keeping the dish from moving the slightest millimeter as she crossed the small room- almost like she was hovering above the floor despite her bare feet softly padding against the fluffy carpet- and stopped in front of the table containing the assortment of food. "You are in my home." She told him simply, her voice like a delicious melody that made Leonidas want to listen to it forever. She faced the table, arranging the food delicately with well manicured fingers. "I found you unconscious in my woods a little before dawn…" She sent him a quick look over her shoulder before turning back to the table. "...Three days ago. So I brought you here to let you heal. You have been asleep since."

He eyed her cautiously, daring glances at the open door a few feet beside her. "What forest am I in?" He asked, looking out the large, natural looking wooden window and out into the ocean beyond. "I was not this close to the ocean when I fell unconscious."

She took nearly half a minute to answer, instead focusing on several large, highly detailed photos of sunrises adorning her walls with longing eyes. Finally, she spoke. "Quoddy Head State Park, near the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse." Her voice was soft like a lullaby, making Leonidas want nothing more than to listen to it all day, her love for the park clearly visible. "The single most beautiful place in this country. My home." She sighed contently and paused for a few seconds to gaze longingly out the large window and out to the shimmering water. "You will be safe here, but you are still weak. You _must_ rest." She turned from the table, holding the steaming cup of tea out to him. "Drink, it will help soothe your mind."

He didn't move to accept the drink. "Who are you?" He asked warily. He wasn't sure if she was a mortal or not, he didn't sense anything other-worldly about her, but his mind was so muddled that he was having a hard time forming a simple thought. But he didn't move to accept the drink, it could be poisoned for all he knew.

The young woman smiled at his question, putting down the drink after realizing that he wasn't going to take it. "Oh, I'm no one special," She answered simply, turning back to face him. "The better question is… who are _you?_ A young man wandering the park at night, you're _lucky_ that I found you when I did. We have _many_ dangerous animals around here, Canadian Lynx, bobcats, timber wolves, cougars, including the occasional black bear." She paused again, this time studying him up close, causing him to feel uncomfortable under her intense, striking eyes. A strange mix of brown and blue, causing them to almost look purple or magenta under the soft, warm light in the room. Her eyes freely roamed his handsome face and muscular body, not bothering to hide her staring or evaluation. She smiled when his eyes met hers. "My, you _are_ a handsome one, aren't you? Such a fine young man, strong too." She purred, stepping closer and reaching her hand out only for him to step back and raise his fists defensively.

"Don't come any closer!" He snarled dangerously, trying to hide how weak his body was and how hard it was to stand at the moment. But he was sure that no matter how weak he was, that he'd be able to fend off a unassuming young woman like her.

She made a show of frowning, puffing out her full bottom lip like a child that was trying to get her way. "Oh my, you would threaten a little 'ol woman like me?" She took a tiny step forward, looking at him with her deep, almost magenta eyes with complete confidence that she would be safe. "But I understand, you are merely scared. Waking up in an unknown place with an unknown person." She smiled warmly, her voice so soft a soothing that Leonidas' eyes grew heavy and started to drop. "You have _nothing_ to fear from _me_ , Leonidas. I will keep you safe."

Then without warning he fell back to the floor, unconscious.

oooOooo

He woke the next morning in the large bed again, but this time he was not alone in the room. The mysterious young woman was sitting next to him, her legs hanging off the side as she sat. It took him a second to realize that she was slowly tracing the old, faded scars on his bare chest and arms with her delicate nails softly. She smiled warmly when she noticed he was awake. "Good morning, handsome." She purred, her voice low and sensual. "How are you feeling today?"

Leonidas blinked before instantly stiffening, he had hoped that his memories of her were just a dream, but it seemed that he was not so lucky. She withdrew her fingers after a few seconds, turning to the side to take a small china bowl from the bedside table and holding a spoon in front of his lips.

"Eat," She ordered kindly. "You have not eaten in several days. You must regain your strength."

He eyed the white purée or yogurt looking food warily. "What is it?" He asked, finding his voice rough and his throat dry from lack of use. She had a steaming cup of tea to his lips the next second, her warm, bright and calming smile ever on her face.

"Here, drink. It's taramasalata." She answered simply, lightly tilting his chin back to pour the soothing liquid into his mouth. After letting him drink she removed the cup, put it down and held the bowl back up to him. "Would you like some?"

He didn't want to accept anymore food, drink or _any_ help from her, but he found himself nodding before he could say no. She promptly fed him a small spoonful, Leonidas only now realizing how hungry he was and soon he had finished off the small bowl. When he tried to apologize for eating all of the food she only smiled and waved off his fears, turning back to the small bedside table and offering him a fresh, steaming potato and a folded piece of pita bread.

After eating every piece of food she offered him, Leonidas grew tired from his full stomach but forced himself to stay awake. The woman had just left the room to put the dishes away, leaving him once alone in the small room. He took the opportunity to study his surroundings again, this time with a slightly more focused and less hazy mind. The interior of the room was… odd. The large windows that looked out to the ocean were misshapen, crafted out of natural branches and tree limbs. Not a single detail in the room was a straight line, every surface having some sort of natural, living shape to it. It made Leonidas feel like he was inside of a living tree. The ceiling was circular and slanted, again made out of natural pieces of wood that looked like it had just been cobbled together from whatever had been lying around the forest. The walls were stark white stone and when they were combined with the aesthetic of the room, the natural look and large assortment of flowers, it gave off the look of a cottage from a fairy tale.

He started to rise from the bed when she came back in, a slightly chiding expression on her face when she walked up to him and lightly pushed him to lay back down. "Now now," her tone was soft and light, light a mother speaking to her infant. "You are in no shape to go anywhere, mister." He relented and let himself be covered by a very comfortable wool blanket, not finding the strength, nor desire to resist her words.

"Who are you?" He asked out of the blue, realizing that she hadn't told him yesterday. "Why do you live out here in the woods?"

She used her delicate fingers to brush the loose strands of hair out of his face and tuck them neatly behind his ear, smiling down to him. "You, Leonidas, may call me Emily."

His eyes widened slightly, though lazily. "How did you-?"

"You told me when you woke earlier." She interrupted him kindly before slightly tilting her head. "Do you not remember?"

He started to shake his head but found that the action made him dizzy and promptly stopped, holding his forehead with his large hand. "Ugh, my head…" He muttered under his breath.

She looked down to him with concerned eyes, leaning close to him causing her large chest- now clad in a tie-dyed hoodie of oranges, pinks, yellows and soft reds and purples of several shades- to get uncomfortably close to his face as she checked his forehead for his temperature. Her hand was surprisingly cool when it met his skin, but it felt nice to the touch. "Are you alright, sweetie? Oh my, you are burning up." She stood up suddenly, somehow the movement didn't cause the bed to move despite her departure. "Stay there and rest, I will get you some ice."

And with that she left the room again, only to return not a minute later with a large soft ice pack and promptly put it to his forehead. He sighed as soon as the material touched his skin. "Thank you." He mumbled, still trying to fight off his heavy eyelids. "For everything."

"You're welcome, Leonidas." She smiled warmly, sitting in her previous spot on the bed next to him. "But you do not need to thank me, it is the least I can do for you. Hospitality for travelers and all that." She waved the thought off with her free hand. "I don't tend to get many visitors nowadays, so I always cherish the opportunity to get to know new people."

"Don't you see new visitors to the park?" He asked, closing his eyes in peace, unable to force them to stay open any longer. "Isn't this a State Park or something?"

He missed the sad smile on her face as she once again lightly traced the faded scars on his body with her finger. "You are so damaged for someone so young, a shame to waste such beauty." She muttered softly to herself under her breath, Leonidas not seeming to notice this so she spoke again to answer his question, this time louder. "Yes, but my… duties to the park take up most of my time." She paused her tracing to put her free hand back up to his forehead again, a thin sheet of frost forming on her hand to bring his temperature down and refreeze the thawing ice pack. "Rest now, love." She purred softly, causing him to settle back into the large pillows. "I shall be here when you wake. Always."

oooOooo

The days in the fairytale cottage passed quickly, but Leonidas, for the life of him, _couldn't_ remember how long he had been with Emily, all the while the constant pain and discomfort he had been in had dulled somewhat, but still persisted. But he knew that it couldn't have been a short amount of time, or a rather long amount of time either. He had been told to stay in the same room for those days to rest, only being let to leave the bed when he had to use the restroom in the adjoining room. He asked Emily why he was not getting better despite resting all day for such a long time, she only brushed off his question and said that he needed to rest as she lightly pushed him to lay back down.

After some time Leonidas had started to grow… _suspicious_ of the young woman called Emily. She was always kind and gentle, but he felt like a prisoner in her home, not being allowed to leave or never told exactly how long he had been there when he asked nor told when he could leave.

So he decided to sneak out.

He had started to study her schedule after a few days and he had learned that she was nothing if not a creature of habit. The small room he was in had no clock, but the large windows that faced East gave him the ability to more or less track the time in the early morning when the sun rose over the horizon. Every morning before dawn, he would hear her rise from the couch in the main room that he often spotted whenever she opened the door and head outside. Where he would hear, if he were not mistaken, a pair of horses and soon, she would ride off into the distance and would return later once the sun started to peak over the horizon. Not including her short morning and afternoon walks, she never left the cottage to his knowledge. Not even for food or work, but as she told him that she lived and worked in the park he assumed that that made some sort of sense, at least, pertaining to the work. He still had no idea how of where she was getting so much food from. And that worried him.

So if he was going to leave then it would have to be in the morning before dawn when she was gone for the longest period of time. He had just heard her leave a few minutes ago so the time was now. He slowly and quietly rose from the bed, finding the action curiously tiring and draining of his energy. Ignoring the feeling of exhaustion, he stumbled to the large natural windowsill and gazed out over the ocean. While he was happy to leave and get on with his journey, he was a little saddened when he realized that he would no longer get to see the absolutely stunning, gorgeous and otherworldly sunrises that greeted him everyday. Emily was an… odd person, but she sure knew how to pick what had to have been the best spot in the country to watch the sunrise. And if the numerous large and detailed paintings and pictures of sunrises hanging on her walls were anything to go by, she sure loved to watch the sunrise. Which, is what Leonidas assumed she did every morning when she left before dawn.

Blinking away his thoughts, he dodged the abnormally numerous amounts of grasshoppers, crickets and the occasional cicada on the carpeted floor as he made his way to the arched wooden door. By now he had grown accustomed to the large amount of birds, animals and insects around the cottage, some smaller creatures, like squirrels, field mice and insects were a common sight in the small cottage, but grasshoppers, crickets and cicadas were a more often sight. When Leonidas casually asked Emily why there were so many bugs in her house one day she only smiled and waved off his question, saying that she lived in the forest, so bugs were to be expected. Not paying the strangely numerous amounts of bugs a second thought, he made his way through the dark cottage and out into the early morning breeze, the slightest hint of sweet saffron in the air, the same smell Emily usually had. He wasn't sure if _she_ smelled like saffron, or if the cottage just naturally smelled of it. Maybe she just used a lot of incense, he didn't know. Shaking those thoughts, he ran off into the woods and as far away from the small cottage as possible. So quickly in fact, that he did not bother to look back to see the small, unassuming white-washed stone, wood and grass roofed cottage shimmer away, leaving behind only a collection of trees, bushes and beautiful wildflowers.

oooOooo

It didn't even take fifteen minutes for him to be surrounded and attacked by a horde of Monsters that seemed to have been searching the woods for him since he slaughtered the last small army, somehow not seemingly able to find him in Emily's house.

"GAAAHHH!" Leonidas cried when he found himself thrown through a thick tree by a Hyperborean Giant.

The son of Sparta stumbled to his feet weakly. He had assumed that he was in fit enough strength to head back out into the wilderness and continue hunting Monsters and training, but his extreme exhaustion and pain from the last few weeks _still_ lingered and he could hardly find the strength to raise his fists in defense.

The horde of beasts, aiming to destroy him once and for all while the sky was still dark, came at him in droves, practically throwing themselves at the demigod teenager. He weakly fought them off, only managing to tossed them aside, not having the strength to summon his enchanted weapons.

The deafening tremors of footsteps from the giant grew ever closer as the beast stalked towards the sixteen year old as he used a tree trunk to help himself stand. The brobdingnagian rose his club over his blue skinned head and was just about to bring down the tree when all of a sudden a blinding light tore apart the heavens and shown down on the small clearing Leonidas and the horde of Monsters were in.

For a second Leonidas thought that his father had once again come to his aid, but when the entire Eastern sky burst into a sudden, shimmering dawn that looked as if the very sky was on fire, he realized that it was _not_ his father.

His father was powerful, but _even he_ couldn't do _this_.

The horde of Monsters shielded their eyes from the glorious display of orange, soft red, pink, yellow and purple in the sky as they danced like an elaborate show around a figure quickly descending from the clouds in a radiating storm of light, the wind howling so much the very air vibrated as the heavens rumbled and the few remaining stars above shimmered and brightened like beacons.

He looked up to the brightening sky weakly and his heart nearly stopped. It was a winged figure. A woman like an angel descending from the clouds.

The sheer amount of warm, kaleidoscope-colored light bursting from the figure like waves rolling in a storm caused Leonidas' breath to hitch. He didn't know _who_ this being was, but it must have been enormously powerful because all of the Monsters around him quickly fled into the trees as she grew closer. Leonidas now being able to make out the figure of a willowy woman clad in a shimmering rainbow of colors that hung around her beautiful form like a dress made out of the very dawn, with accents of shimmering stars twirling around her like the cosmos. With a beat of her stunning, red and golden hued feathery wings, the light in the clearing faded, but the sudden warmth that she brought with her stayed and grew more intense as she neared his lying form.

He couldn't say anything as the angelic woman glided over to him, the flowers and plants around her were washed in a thin layer of morning dew and stood straighter, even coming back from wilting as she passed them. All around her, roses of every kind, color and size sprouted from the earth and soon the patches of dirt were coated in a blanket of beautiful thriving flowers. From far off, birds began to sing an enchanting melody. The occasional chirping of crickets turned almost into a chorus and soon joined the symphony as they greeted the woman as she slowly and elegantly flew through the trees.

Wordlessly, the woman let the torch she was carrying over her head disappear in a cloud of purple, pink and orange hues before promptly landing next to him and dropping to her knees as she reached for him. He was in the process of swatting her hand away and summoning his sword when his sharp nose caught the strong, similar smell of saffron a second before the light around her died down enough for him to see her face as she spoke to him, her voice soft, melodic and calming.

"Do not fear, Leonidas." She easily moved his weakened arms out of the way and brought her slightly glowing, rosy hands over his chest and emitting a warm light. "It is I."

"Emily?" His eyes grew wide, threatening to burst from his head. She paused slightly to look right at him, her face morphing into the one he had been seeing for the past few weeks.

She continued her work, leaning down so that her face was only a few inches above his. "Yes, sweetie, it's _me-_." She was suddenly cut off when he pulled away and fell to his knees when he tried to stand. She was at his side in a second.

"What are you?!" He barked as he tried to force himself to his feet but found it impossible. She reached a delicate rosy hand towards him but he avoided it like the plague. "Get way from me!" He tried to crawl away from her but found his arms unable to support his immense weight and fell to the dirt.

"Calm yourself, Leonidas," She purred as she once again rushed over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, easily turning him over so that he was laid on his face and not face first in the dirt. "I mean you no harm." He dared to let his eyes track to hers and instantly regretted it, her eyes were so pleading and worried for him that he let in and let her tend to him. With a nod she continued her work, a soft, warm light emitting from her rosy hands as they hovered over his chest. They constant, shooting pain was subdued to a dulled throbbing, just slightly bearable.

"W-what is… going on?" He heard himself mutter, though his head was so fuzzy with pain that he didn't remember speaking. He could feel his strength leaving him, and it finally hit him; he was dying…

He honestly saw this coming, he had been told by a priestess that he was going to die in a few short years. And since then he sought out every divine and non-divine healer, priestess and oracle he could find. All of them told him the same thing; it was inevitable, he was going to die.

But dying now? Here, in this place without achieving his goals and saying humanity from War and Love? The destiny that the Fates set out for him? This _wasn't_ how it was supposed to be. Without warning his mouth filled with liquid and a second later he was dumping the crimson substance on the grass.

"Shh, shh." She cooed, softly rubbing his back as he dumped the contents of his stomach into the patch of newly sprouted roses. He saw her lean her face close to his, his bleary mind not being able to tell if her eyes were changing color of if he was just simply losing his sanity. "I had wished that I would be able to cure you… but you are dying… Soon." Her beautiful face dropped, Leonidas not knowing for sure how or why she seemed to care for him so much.

"No I'm not." He forced out weakly in between coughing up obscene amounts of blood. He eyed the sky above them. "I _can't_ die yet. There's still _*cough*_ work to do." He tried to stand but found his legs unresponsive to his commands.

"Take it easy, Leo. You-."

" _Don't_ call me that." He ordered, weakly glaring at her with narrowed, pain-filled eyes. "The _only_ person who _*cough*_ could call me that is…" He hesitated slightly, his voice growing weak. "...Is dead."

Her ever changing colored eyes widened, her delicate jaw dropping slightly. "You… had a lover…" She said this as if she were upset that she didn't know, like she didn't like the thought that his heart once belonged to someone.

"It's _*cough*_ private," He mumbled under his breath, closing his eyes from the aching pain in his chest. "And none of your business."

She continued her healing, but looked off into the dulled morning sky like she could see something he couldn't. She spoke up, her voice soft and hollow."...I have lost loved ones as well." She looked back to him, he didn't reply so she continued. "My loving brother, my sweet sister, my wonderful mother." She bit her full bottom lip as a wave of pain washed over her face. "...My love. _Everyone_ I have loved in my life, is now gone."

He grit his teeth when an especially painful stabbing sensation erupted in his side. "Then we… have that _*cough*_ in common." He said emotionlessly. "The Fates must have decided to make my life a living _Hades_."

"All I have is my father now… but I would rather see him dead for all he has done to me and to this world."

A hint of a smile formed at the corner of his mouth. "Even more in common than I thought." He muttered softly before opening his eyes as fully as possible and taking in her appearance up close. "So, tell me, who _are_ you?"

"I am known by many names all throughout the world," She answered, continuing to heal him with one hand as the other summoned a miniature sun rising over the horizon in the palm of her hand. "'Rosy Fingered one', 'Mother of the Wind and Stars', my most common name, my Roman name, 'Aurora'. But I am the daughter of the East. Sister of Helios, Titan of the Sun and Selene, Titaness of the Moon." She paused to smile at Leonidas' awe filled expression. "My name, Leonidas, is Eos, Titaness goddess of the Dawn, Dew and Frost. Mother of the Wind and Stars, she who has divine authority and control over the Light, Dawn, Dew, Frost and Sky ever since the Protogenoi Ouranos Faded millennia ago." She paused to once again brush his medium length brown hair out of his face. "But to you, Leonidas, I am just Emily."

"Why would a _*cough*_ Titaness care about someone like me?" He asked weakly. "I thought that you _*cough*_ had Faded along with your brother and sister. How are you still alive?"

Her smile dropped as she bit her lip, nodding to herself. "Like you, Leonidas, I am not ready to die. Even if the world has stopped believing in me millennia ago, there are still things I must do, wrongs I must right. But I am still dying. Everyday I find myself growing weaker as my lifeforce slowly dwindles to nothing…" She eyed the sky again. "That light show earlier? It cost me a decade or two at least."

Leonidas' eyes widened. "Then why would you-?"

"To save you." She answered simply, looking downwards and slightly… was it ashamed? "I have not been honest with you, Leonidas… I…" She raised her eyes to meet his. "I have been watching you for some time. Following you as you traveled across the East coast and as you made your way ever closer to me."

"But why?" He asked, confused. "Why would you be following me?"

"Because I fell for your beauty. You look like a _literal_ godling." She wore a sheepish smile that turned into a disappointed frown. "I know that it may seem a little… foolish, but I _cannot_ help it." She lightly shook her head to herself, looking back up to the sky. "I have been cursed to endlessly fall for handsome young men… only for them to leave me or die. To _forever_ be alone for all of eternity. I _cannot_ help my attraction to you." She but her lower lip. "I'm sorry, I know that that sounds-."

"You are like the Titaness Calypso." He cut her off kindly, looking at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "Like me… destined to forever be heartbroken…"

She nodded silently before bringing her hand to his forehead and using it to cool his temperature down again. "Yes, my cousin has also been cursed, but she has it off easy in my opinion."

"What to do you-?"

He was cut off suddenly when her head snapped to the side and she covered his mouth briefly. "We are not alone. The horde is returning." She held out her hand to him and helped him to his feet. "Come, we must return home, we will be safe from the Monsters there."

"Why can't you just destroy them?" he asked as she slung his heavy arm over her shoulder and started to help him walk. "And would it not be easier for us to fly there?"

She shook her head slightly, her long, flowing pinkish-blonde hair swaying from the movement. "Even if I wasn't a pacifist Titaness, which I am, I do not have the energy right now even if I wanted to. I used up most of it to scare them away before."

Leonidas was just about to mumble something about 'weakling Titanesses' when a Hellhound burst through the brush and jumped at them. Leonidas only barely managing to react fast enough to grab the beasts' snout and drive it into a nearby tree before stumbling to one knee.

"Get behind me!" He ordered as he used the remainders of his strength to summon his _xiphos_ and brandished it at the approaching army.

"But Leonidas, you are too weak-."

"Then do something about it!" He yelled as he swung his sword at and through the stomach of a Cyclops. All was going more or less fine until the same Hyperborean giant broke through the wall of trees and charged at the pair. "Do something!"

"The only thing I can do might kill you-."

"We'll die anyway!" He barked, charging at the giant, lifting his sword as high as possible. "DO IT!"

The giant was only a few strides away from him when Leonidas was suddenly surrounded by an ethereal glow and without warning he felt supercharged, like he got a second wind ran at the giant all out faster than ever before and jumped at the beast and driving his sword into its head. "Gaaah!" Leonidas yelled as he jumped from Monster to Monster, slaying every being in sight, his body feeling more rejuvenated and full of life than he could ever remember.

He danced around the club of a Cyclops before severing each of its limbs with a quick flurry of attacks before dashing to meet the next opponent, and soon, he had finished off the majority of the Monsters while the rest had fled back into the woods. He was about to chase after them when he suddenly fell to the ground, currently in the most pain he had ever been in. It felt like red hot metal rods were being stabbed into every joint, muscle and bone in his body at once.

"Ahhh!" He let out a stream of cries as he rolled around in the dirt, clutching his chest so hard that his nails were drawing blood from his skin. He didn't know when she appeared, but Eos had dropped to his side.

"I'm so sorry, Leonidas." He heard her apologize. "I did not know that my power would fade so quickly or cause you so much pain when it left." He felt her take his hand in hers.

"Can't you heal me?" He forced out through gritted teeth, his body convulsing in pain. "Like you did before?"

"Only a little." She told him, shaking her head. "I am not a Titaness of medicine, I only have _limited_ ability to heal. Unless-." She stopped herself suddenly,shaking her head again. "No, I couldn't."

" _What?_ " He asked.

"Forget it. It's practically impossible-."

He gripped her her hand with his free one, looking right into her eyes. "Please," He begged. "I _can't_ die here, the world is counting on me."

After inwardly debating with herself for a minute, Eos nodded to herself, letting out a long breath. "Okay, you saved my life, so I'll return the favor." She let her fingers lightly trace his defined cheekbones before moving down to hover over his chest. "But I have to tell you, it may kill you."

"I'm dying anyway. Just do it." He chuckled darkly. "Whatever you're doing."

"I'm going to grant you my Blessing." She told him, her eyes filled with worry and anxiousness. "Something that has _never_ been granted to a mortal. I do not even know if your weakened body could handle the strain or pain-."

"I can handle _any_ pain." He cut her off softly. "I will endure _anything_ in order to obtain my goals." He increased his hold on her hand. "Don't worry," He reassured her. "I will be fine."

"Alright then," She mumbled, nodding. "But I have to say, that I will be tying our life forces to one another, if one of us should die… the other would soon die as well. In exchange, my natural self healing abilities will transfer to you and it should help stall your death and dull the pain, but I can't just heal you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He told her. "If it's my destiny, then there's no fighting it. Anything else?"

She nodded her head one. "Yes, in exchange for my Blessing, I have three requests."

He was silent for a few seconds before nodding weakly. "Tell me."

She let out a breath. "First, you will be named my Champion, so I request that you fight for me. You must do _anything_ in order to protect me, and I will do the same. In exchange, you will be granted with some additional powers."

He instantly nodded. "I accept."

"Second," She continued. "I request that you become mine and mine alone." Her eyes turned lustful and needy as they roamed his body. It only lasted for a few seconds however when she managed to get control of herself. "I am cursed to desire beautiful men, so in return for you doing what I ask, I will make you my consort."

He paused for a few seconds, blinking. "You mean that… you and I…"

"Yes," She nodded, her voice turning to more of a purr again as her eyes glanced down to her breathtakingly beautiful body. "Is it _really_ so bad of an offer?"

He found himself gulping subconsciously. Honestly, he had no desire to be with Eos in that sense, or _any_ person, really. Not after Mary died, despite them never being anywhere close to intimate. But Emily, or Emily as she wanted him to call her, was a _literal_ Titaness and was breathtakingly beautiful. And despite how much he never wished it, he would endure being with her physically if it meant that he was able to get closer to his goals of killing Love and War.

"...Alright." He finally mumbled, not missing how her face lit up and an aura of desire seemed to flow from her body. "But on one condition of my own," He looked to her and she nodded. "I will _never_ love you and you need to understand that."

She weighed his words before nodding. "I accept, I have also given up on any real sense of love long ago, I honestly just want you for your body." She paused to give him a flirty look that made him feel uncomfortable. What had he just gotten himself into? After removing the look from her face, she continued. "Lastly, I have more need of you than just a protector, I am a pacifist Titaness like I said, but I need to kill an Olympian." Her eyes turned serious and stopped changing color, settling on magenta. "Will you help me?"

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Thanks for reading, guys. How was it? I was so worried for this chapter the entire time as I wrote it. Was it bad? Good? Decent? A worthless pile of crap? Was it what you expected? Did it answer your questions about Leonidas and the Eos/Emily? Let me know.**

 **I'll try to get the second part out asap. It'll be a little different and will be the LAST Story of Leonidas chapter of the story. And I'm kinda sad about that. I like exploring his character.**

 **I'm gonna beg for Reviews again, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know what you thought of it. I can't improve without feedback. Thanks again and have a great day!**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas' name was originally Anthony 'Tony' and he was just supposed to be a minorly important son of Ares that tried to usurp power from Percy at camp and get the campers to turn their backs on him and help Zeus exact his revenge and make Percy flee camp. An extremely cliche idea, I know. I'm _SO_ glad it's turned out to be what it is today.

 **Question of the day:** 'If you had to select a song or songs to be Leonidas' theme, what would it be?' When I started writing this story I put together a playlist of epic, motivational, badass songs that I thought fit him, but now it's just turned into whatever sounds cool, I really need to edit it and remove everything that doesn't fit. If you have any songs that you think fit him, let me know. I've been curious for a while.


	18. Ch 10 Part 1: A Woman In My Dreams

Chapter 10 Part 1: A Woman In My Dreams

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! I'm am SO SORRY for being gone for so long. I know that this chapter is late and shorter than normal, but I just wanted to get something out asap. Besides, this is a part 1, so part 2 should come out in a day or two. I'm trying to get back on schedule, but I was recently told by my boss that I'm going to have to fill in for her for about three or so weeks later this month. Meaning I have to work and additional four hours a day and work days(I usually work evenings, btw). So my writing time coming up is going to dwindle** _ **drastically**_ **, but up until that time I will try my best to get as much writing done as possible. So for the time being you guys might be getting shorter chapters as I work on trying to backlog some chapters in case I don't have time to write in the coming weeks.**

 **I had such a hard time trying to write Ch9 Part 2 that I eventually decided to cut it out. But don't worry, you didn't miss much, it took place before the story and was the story of how Sara, Leonidas' mom, and his father met. But I wasn't going to give away who he was in that, so you didn't really miss anything. I thought about it for some time and finally decided that it wasn't necessary. But don't worry, we'll soon learn who Leonidas' father is. And by soon I mean Ch11, so have fun waiting for that.**

 **Since I last uploaded I also started up two games I used to play, Ark: Survival Evolved and Conan Exiles, so a lot of my time was sucked into playing those. I also got a 3d modeling software to help me come up with ideas for Leonidas and other OC's that I made, but it turned out to be a total waste of money for what I can do without** _ **literally**_ **spending hundreds of more dollars to be able to do anything above the basic level.**

 **Anyway, if you're Following me then you'd know that I recently put up the idea for a PJ SYOC and are currently accepting submissions. But don't worry, I won't eb starting that story until long after this one is over, this one comes first. That's also where a lot of my recent time went, I got so much feedback for that story that I literally received 65+ PM's in two days, yeah, I know, crazy. That has all died down now so I can focus on this story again.**

 **One last thing, I put up a new Poll on my Profile to determine what stories I put out in what order. You have nine choices to pick from and get three votes, so select your favorites and I'll write the next story based on what wins. But keep in mind that since 'PJ Rewritten for Pertemis' won before that I'll be doing it before the 'God Percy' story. I just have to do a lot of planning before I start that story, since I'm literally rewriting two series and ten books. It won't be out for some time.**

 **Well, that's enough for now. I hope you guys like this shorter chapter. This and part 2 are a lead up to ch11, which will be the big middle part climax until the end. SO I can't wait until I get to that. See you at the bottom.**

* * *

Chapter 10 Part 1: A Woman In My Dreams

 **(June 2, 2011)**

 _[Recap: Ares controlled the mind of one of his children in order to kill Percy in his sleep but was ultimately thwarted by Clarisse. During the announcement to the camp, Ares controlled the minds of two more of his children and tried to kill Percy again, but was stopped again by Clarisse and Leonidas. Then, during the hullabaloo, Thalia arrived at camp to talk to Percy._

 _Meanwhile, Rachel Elizabeth Dare's vision of the future became clear and right before she could warn the camp a mysterious woman clad in light like the morning sun appeared before her. Ordering Rachel to warn Percy to heed her warning and for him to not challenge her champion, Leonidas, before putting the young Oracle to sleep.]_

 _ **The Next Day~**_

Percy was sitting atop of a towering cliff face looking off into the sunrise, his girlfriend Annabeth leaning against his side with her head resting on his shoulder as he mindlessly played with her blonde locks. It was utterly serene, the most peaceful he had felt in many years. Everything was _perfect_ , the sun was warm, but not too hot. The light breeze was enough to cool the skin without being chilly and the few chirping birds off in the trees behind them made enough background noise to set a calming mood without being too annoying. But something was bothering him…

...It was _too_ perfect. And his gut was telling him that _something_ was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. Something just felt… off. After some time trying to figure it out himself, he turned to face Annabeth and ask if she sensed something but jumped back in shock when he came face to face with an unknown woman.

"Aahh!" He threw himself back onto the dirt, his eyes wide as he stared at an unknown woman who had suddenly taken the spot of his girlfriend. She was slightly taller than Annabeth, with pinkish-blonde hair tied up in an elaborate braid like a crown atop her head and was adorned in a beautiful pink dress that swayed with the wind in perfect rhythm. "Who are you?!" He demanded, out of his sudden shock. "What did you do to Anna-"

"Do not fear, I have done _nothing_ to her, Perseus. You are dreaming. We are inside of your mind, I merely wished to speak with you in private." Her voice was so enchanting that one wanted to hang onto her every word. She held her hand out delicately, wordlessly asking for him to help her up. When Percy made no move to help her rise, she lazily rolled her eyes before floating herself up to her feet without difficulty. "And here I thought that you were a gentleman." She mumbled to herself, looking off to the horizon with a relaxed smile.

"I'm sorry, but am I supposed to know who you are?" Percy asked a little harshly. "You invade my mind like this, _pretending_ to be my girlfriend and you expect me to talk to you?"

The woman didn't appear bothered by his tone, only continuing to look off into the rising sun. "My, you have such a brilliant vision of the sunrise, don't you?"

Percy blinked, tracing her line of sight to the morning sky. It was a beautiful display of purples, pinks, oranges and soft reds swirling around the other in an endless dance. He was about to ask her what she meant when he recognized the scene before him. "...Wait," He mumbled softly, his eyes widening with realization. "I _know_ this sunrise." He turned slightly to face the mysterious woman. "Annabeth and I watched _this same_ sunrise last year when we took a vacation from camp for my birthday…"

"Is that when this was from?" She asked aloud, looking around them like she was taking in every aspect of the scene in front of them at once before nodding, her eyes shifting around at a million miles an hour. "Ah yes, _this one_." She let out a content sigh, like she had fond memories of this particular sunrise, her rosy cheeks becoming warmer. "August eighteenth two thousand ten, I remember _that_ morning in _perfect_ detail. I was in an explicitly good mood that morning… so I crafted the heavens to replicate that." She smiled to herself, her rosy cheeks becoming even redder. "You could say that I… had received a… _very special gift_ that morning and, though while extremely tired, was overjoyed. But you, as a male, could not understand, I am sorry." She turned to face Percy, her warm smile threatening to break from her face. "The dawn has _always_ replicated my emotions, but this morning was _especially beautiful_. _By far_ my favorite in the past few centuries." Her head tilted slightly as she raised a delicate finger to her chin. "But I did not realize that it was _also_ your birthday and that you were watching. I was… otherwise occupied that morning. I hope that you and your love appreciated the breathtaking display?"

Percy blinked again. What game was this lady playing? Who _was_ she? Since she was here in his mind, he assumed that she was _at least_ a goddess, though she gave off a slightly different, older, _more powerful_ aura than most gods he met. So that only left one option. "You're a Titaness." He stated, fully turning to her now.

Her smile grew. "Yes, I am."

"But _who_ -"

"You _know_ who I am, Perseus." She interrupted him softly, turning back to the sky. "This is not the first time we have met, you and I. Though, I can not blame you for not remembering me, since I hid all memory of myself in your subconscious. If you had to guess, Perseus, who would _you_ say I was?"

Percy thought about it for a second. From what she said he was pretty much sure that she was a Titaness of the sky or something, but for the life of him he couldn't remember her name or be sure if she was related to more than the sky or not. Studying the thousands of figures in Greek history and remembering who each one of them was, wasn't exactly his forte. But the only thing was, he thought that she had Faded long ago with her brother and sister. "...You're… a Titaness of the sky, right?. And you… _you brought me back to life!_ " His eyes widened with realization, finally remembering her.

She let out a brief, light chuckle. "You could not remember my name, could you?" Her tone was light and humorous, letting Percy know that she wasn't upset about it. Her voice turned a little more serious. "But I wouldn't have expected you to. My name has been lost to history millennia ago. There was only _one being_ alive that knew of my existence before now. But alas, the dawn draws ever nearer and I must open the gates of heaven. My time here is limited, Perseus, so I must be quick. I have come to warn you."

Percy's breath hitched slightly, his eyes narrowing. "...Am I in danger?" He asked. He didn't know _what_ this woman wanted or why she was here, but since she hadn't just killed him, threatened him or _implied_ that she would, he figured that she at least didn't want him dead. And since she _literally_ brought him back from the brink of death, it gave him a little more evidence that she didn't want him dead. Or at least it was unlikely. But the only question was, why?

Her smile dropped slightly. "In truth… I cannot say." She told him honestly, her voice still silky smooth even with her uncertainty. "But if I were to have _my_ way… then no." She turned to fully face him, all of the wind died down- no, it stopped completely as if the very sky around them had frozen. The sunlight no longer gave off any heat and the calming aura coming off of her now made him shiver and the hairs on his arms stand up on end as if his instincts were warning him about her. "But in order for that to happen… you _must_ heed my previous warning and stay out of my champion's way. He truly is a kind man, but he will _not_ hesitate to kill _anyone_ in his desire to save the world… or save _me_." Suddenly giant golden-red hued feathery wings burst from her back. With one beat of them she rose into the air a few feet over his head. "I beg you, Perseus, you are a great, honorable, innocent, _beautiful_ man… I _do not_ wish to see you destroyed for nothing. My hatred is not for you, and I _do not_ wish to see you swept up in this. So when the time comes that you must face off against the other… I _beg you_ … _stand aside_. Let him go… _or you will die_." With that she flew off into the dancing sky.

Percy stepped towards her, his arm reaching out to her. "Wait! Who are you talking about-"

Suddenly he was in his bed, sitting up with his arm held out in front of him, reaching for something that wasn't there. Annabeth was next to him in their bed, looking at him like he had grown a second head. Her brow quirked up as his eyes moved to hers. "...Are you… okay, babe?" She asked him cautiously.

He blinked, trying to figure out what had happened. One second he had been in a dream talking to… _whatever_ her name was, then the next he's in his bed. He blinked again, only now realizing that he had been staring at his girlfriend for half a minute without saying anything. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He lied, shaking his head slightly as he rolled out of bed and took the single step to his dresser. "Just… weird dream."

"Are we talking 'demigod weird' or 'normal Percy weird'?" She asked with a slight chuckle, rolling to her side to check her alarm clock and groaning when she saw the time. "It's only six, come back to bed."

"...Normal weird. Something about ice cream talking to me as I ate it." He lied again. "Besides, not tired." He told her as he slipped a fresh shirt over his head and tried his best to look dignified putting his pants and socks on. "'Sides, don't you remember what Thals said? About our… ' _Mutual friend'_ that wanted to talk?"

Annabeth nodded, remembering. "Oh yeah." She laid back down in the bed, snuggling in the blanket as she watched him get ready. "But I would still feel better if you brought someone with you. You _are_ leaving camp for the morning. _Who knows_ how many Monsters you could run into."

"Oh no sane Monster would get within a mile of me, you know that, Wisegirl." He stepped into their tiny adjoining bathroom to grab his toothbrush to brush his teeth while they talked. "Nuttin' ta w'rry 'bout." Came his assurance, his mouth full of toothpaste.

Annabeth didn't even have the energy to roll her eyes. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

Percy returned from spitting out the toothpaste and running a comb through his hair. "Of course, Beth." He paused by her side of the bed to place a quick peck on her cheek. "Love you." He was in the doorway when a thought hit him. "Want me to start the coffee for you, babe?"

She grimaced, her face turning slightly green. After shaking her head slightly she answered, laying back down and bringing the comforter up to her chin. "No thanks, Percy." She told him. "...I… haven't been feeling up to having coffee lately."

He blinked once then again, shaking his head slightly. "Don't want coffee?" He asked, his voice laced heavily with skepticism. "Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth?'

He just received a soft groan from the bed, letting him know that she wasn't in the health nor mood for jokes. "You _sure_ you aren't getting sick, Annabeth?" He asked from the door, jutting his thumb behind him. "Because I can go get Will-"

"No," She said quickly before relaxing back into the bed, her voice returning to normal. "No, I mean, I just need some rest is all. I already went to the doctor when I went to visit your mom, remember? I'm fine, just a bug. Don't worry about me, Seaweed Brain, you go out there and see what she needs."

After a second he nodded. "If you're sure, Annabeth, then okay." He let out a shrug then walked out the door, telling her he loved her once again before closing it and heading out of his apartment and into the camp in the direction of the camp border where a very special item was waiting for him, one he hadn't been able to use in quite a long time.

oooOooo

 **(Sorry again about the delay.**

 **Can we get 10 Reviews?)**

oooOooo

"Man I _love_ this truck… but it is _not_ the kind of vehicle to be driving around New York during rush hour." Percy was sat- and talking to himself as he sat in traffic- in his new truck than he had been given as thanks and an apology for his last car being destroyed by none other that Artemis herself. It was a royal blue Ford Raptor, a truly behemoth of a truck with it's extra foot of length and six inches of width. Percy towered over most of the SUV's, smaller cars and taxis on the road. His Celestial Bronze vehicle was currently stuck in traffic though as he made his way through the morning slog as the rest of New York tried their best to get to work on time.

He loved his truck, having used it a few times to take trips with Annabeth before the gods went silent. With the hidden, enchanted pop up camper in the back that could easily fit eight people, he and Annabeth camped out in it from time to time. His truck had also been used for a more practical purpose the other week when he used it to haul a trailer full of cows that he and Kent from Aristaeus purchased from a local farm to help supply the camp with milk and food. It was situations like that that he was glad for having a heavily modified truck made for him by Hephaestus that could stand up to pretty much anything Percy wanted… but for situations like _this_ where he was just about the biggest single person vehicle on the road as he weaved through narrow New York City streets? It was kind of a pain.

After about an hour or so, he finally managed to get where he was going. A small, hidden cafe that he didn't even knew existed before. But that wasn't really unexpected, since New York was huge and he didn't frequent small holes in the wall like this. After finally finding a large enough parking spot _eight blocks away_ that could fit his massive truck, he made his way to the cafe and inside.

Walking in it was just about what you'd expect for the hole in the wall that it was. Comfy sofas were abound, with thrifty coffee tables scattered around. Against the far brick wall was a large number of bookshelves, brimming with hundreds of books. _Annabeth would love this place,_ he thought as he made his way up to the counter and ordered the first thing on the menu since he wasn't really one for fancy coffee shop coffee along with a breakfast sandwich. After paying for his overpriced cinnamon something or another and biscuit sandwich, he made his way to the far corner to wait for his company to arrive.

And the bell on the door ringing a second later alerted him that she had arrived. A tall, lean and lithe girl of about eighteen walked in. Dressed in a pair of athletic shorts and unzipped hoodie that had a logo of a muscular woman with a tiara on her head holding a large barbell over her head and read 'Train like a goddess' with a silver t-shirt underneath. After briefly scanning the small coffee shop she made her way straight to him and sat across from him at his table.

"Hello, Percy." The auburn haired woman smiled, her eyes shifting around the room as if she expected to be watched. "Thank you for meeting me so suddenly like this." She apologized, finally resting her eyes on him, giving him an apologetic smile. "When I sensed you in danger I made sure to contact Thalia as soon as possible and have her check up on you."

"Hey, Art-"

"Zoë, please." She cut him off kindly, sending her eyes up to the ceiling briefly. "I _cannot_ allow my father to become aware that I am here with you." She told him, keeping her voice down so that only the two of them with their acute hearing could make out. "He has banned _all_ contact with mortals. My brother and Hestia are helping me hide my signature from him and Ares, but I can't stay too long, someone might discover my absence. We have been ordered to stay within Olympus. I am risking a great deal by meeting with you today."

"Thals told me that you said it was life or death." Percy nodded to the goddess, recognizing the seriousness of her voice. "So, I'm here. What's going on? What's up with the gods? Why has Zeus closed Olympus? What do I need to do?"

After one last look around the cafe, Artemis turned her attention to Percy. "Olympus is on the brink of Civil War." She told him simply, her voice level and not showing any emotion whatsoever. Percy's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to talk only for her to put her hand up and continue, she wasn't finished. "I trust that Thalia informed you about the Prophecy like I instructed?" He nodded.

"Then you would know the seriousness of the current situation." She continued in stride, keeping her voice low.

"Olympus beware the Mortal of Might,

The heir shall strike War and Love in the night,

A long forgotten foe shall rise, an Angel and Lion in disguise,

The Mount shall fall and the Sky will rise,

The Son shall follow the fate of those before,

And slay his father at the door."

"That is what the Fates told us. A warning." Artemis let out a breath. "My father, along with Ares, believe that _you_ are the mortal described in the Prophecy, Percy." She told him. "Because _you_ , out of _any_ mortal to ever live, poses the greatest threat to Olympus."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, Thalia told me that. Zeus is afraid of me because I am the leader of camp and have almost a hundred demigods ready to fight if I give the word. Not to mention my strength and abilities."

"Yes, and because of that, my father and Ares wish to see you killed before you have the opportunity to attack Olympus, kill your father, Ares, Aphrodite and take over Olympus."

"Which, is honestly _just stupid_." Percy muttered. "They think that _I_ of all people would betray Olympus?"

"I agree." She nodded, letting out a sigh. "But my father is more paranoid now than he has _ever_ been. You see… the gods are… growing weaker by the day. And soon, they will be almost helpless and vulnerable for an attack. Soon, then can be _truly_ killed."

Percy eyes widened as he dropped his biscuit sandwich. "What?"

"Peace, Percy." She held out a hand to tell him to let her speak. "Know that Olympus, _for now_ , is safe." She assured him. "Every millennia or so, our powers dwindle and we weaken, so much so that it is the closest time that we are like you, mortal with a mortal life. Able to be killed for good, caused to Fade into the Void beyond the realms of time and space."

"This is a natural occurrence," She told him. "Our sister pantheon, the Norse, go through a similar, yet albeit different, experience. We _may_ be gods, but we are _not_ all powerful. Our powers, knowledge, lives… are finite. We may live tens of thousands of times longer than you mortals, but in time, we too must succumb to the laws of the cosmos. We- _no_ _being_ is _truly_ immortal." She paused to watch a woman and a small child enter, disregarding them as a threat after a second. "And it is in this time, that we call the Promised Day, that we gods may die if we are too weak. During that time we are almost helpless, but only for that day, as we gain back all of our powers the next morning."

"But I don't understand," Percy started. " _How_ do you die? _Why_ are you dying? Are _you_ dying? My father-"

"I assume that you know what it means to Fade?" She asked instead of answering his question.

He gave a half shrug. "Sorta," he admitted. "But I've never really understood how it works. Do you just Fade if you're not worshiped by the world anymore?"

"In a way." She told him. "But it is more complicated than that. We, gods and Titans alike, rely on the constant worship and sacrifices of mortals to survive, yes, but there are many other factors to it. For example, Pan, the god of the Wilds, Faded not only because of the dwindling number of mortals that worshiped him, but because of how his domain was treated by mortals."

"Without significant worship by mortals, we gods and Titans _cannot_ survive. And it is during this time, The Promised Day, one twenty four hour period of time, that those of us that are not strong enough… Fade into the Void. _Die_. We can Fade at any time, of course, but every Promised Day claims more and more of my fellow gods every time."

"None of the Olympians are dying, right?" Percy asked, worried for his father and friends on the Council.

Artemis' face dropped slightly, which made Percy's blood turn cold. "...I'm sorry, but no. _Several_ gods are at risk of dying this year."

"Who?" He almost demanded.

"No one you would know, Percy." Her tone was a little accusatory, most likely because _that_ was a reason why they were dying. "Attis, a minor god of vegetation is at the most risk. My brother and Asclepius have been tending to him for many months. Trying to keep his life force strong… but it is a futile endeavor. He is going to die this Promised Day." After letting out a quick breath and slightly shaking her head, she continued. "But there are more, many more who are at risk this year. Caerus, Dinlas, Priapus, Zelus and even… _Triton_ , your father's son. The Prince of the Seas."

"Are you serious?" Percy didn't even know what to say. Triton was dying? He and Percy never got along because of the rivalry between them, but he would've _never_ wanted his dad to lose his eldest son. That begged the question, how was his dad doing? Percy hadn't heard from him in over a year, so this was news to him.

Artemis gave a slow nod. "I wish it were not true, Percy, but it is. Triton is going to Fade, he has been weak for almost a year and your father has employed every healer in the seas and Olympus, but there's _nothing_ that can be done now."

"But what if I get camp and New Rome to worship Triton?" Percy asked quickly. "As well as the other gods? What if we sacrifice ten times as much as we usually do?"

Artemis slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Percy, but you _cannot_ fight Fate. _No_ god, Titan, Primordial or _being_ in the history of the cosmos has _ever_ been able to escape Fading on the Promised Day when they are in a weakened state like this." She let out a slow breath through her nose before tracking his eyes that were stared blankly on the table. "I am sorry, Percy, I know that you do not wish to hear it, but there is _nothing_ you or _anyone_ can do to help them. If a god or Titan is dying, then they _will_ Fade within the next three weeks."

Percy bit his lip. He didn't know any of the gods she mentioned besides Triton, but it didn't matter, they were Olympians so as far as he was concerned they were family. And he fought for his family until the end. After releasing his death grip on the arm of his chair that no doubt dented it in some way and letting out a fast breath out of his nose, he looked up to Artemis. "So this is why Zeus is so worried?" He asked. "Because during this 'Promised Day' you are all weak? He fears that I'll attack during this time and kill them all?"

'Yes." She nodded. "No one on the council is at risk of Fading, thank _Chaos_ , but during these next three weeks until the Promised Day, we are at the most risk of being killed. Say if you, or _anyone_ wishes to kill an Olympian, then the Promised Day would be the best time to do it. We would still have some semblances of our powers and abilities up until the Promised Day, but not _nearly_ at the same scope as we normally do. Right now it is taking a great deal of my energy to appear in this form, if my brother and Hestia were not assisting me than I would not be able to hide my presence from my father. And if I were honest," she paused to look right into his eyes, her own silver orbs significantly duller and less alive than normal. "I have _no doub_ t in my mind that if you, Percy, joined with a small force of your best demigods… that you could _topple_ Olympus during this time. You _could_ kill us all. And _that_ , is why my father fears you so."

"But as I said earlier, Olympus is on the brink of Civil War." She continued. "For now, we, myself, my brother, Hestia and Hera have managed to keep Poseidon in the dark about my father and Ares' plans to kill you."

"Why?" Percy asked. "If they're trying to kill me then wouldn't it be best if my dad knew? So he could help fight for me?"

Artemis shook her head. "No. Think about it, Percy. If your father knew that my father and Ares had tried to kill you five times now, then I have no doubt that Poseidon would go to war with them. Your father is extremely protective of you, he would have no qualms about taking the life of Ares if he could if he were to kill you." She paused to rest her chin on her propped up hands. "Already there is major discord among the gods concerning my father's plans to kill you and for letting so many demigods die. So much so that lines have already started to be drawn if Olympus should go to war." She looked right into his eyes, her orbs fierce and brighter than they were previously. "If it comes to be, then you would have the backing of myself, my brother, Hermes, Hestia and of course your father."

 **. . .**

Percy let that all sink in for a few minutes as Artemis left to order her own coffee, leaving him to his thoughts for a few minutes. After she returned with her chocolate drenched drink, he looked right up to her, his face serious. "Do you have any idea who this 'Mortal of Might' is?"

The goddess shook her head. "No, I do not. All of Olympus has been trying to discover the meaning of the Prophecy-"

"I may know who it is." He cut her off suddenly, his voice low, cold and soft. His eyes looked up to hers, his face serious. "Leonidas."

Her brow peaked slightly. "Leonidas?" She asked, her tone level, calculating. "Who is that?"

"He's the mortal Thalia, the hunters and I ran into in Colorado on our hunt for the elder hydra." He told the goddess. "I _don't_ want to believe that Leonidas could be the person in the Prophecy, but the wording? 'Mortal of Might'? It _can't_ be a coincidence, he is _by far_ the strongest person I have _ever_ met."

Artemis raised her hand to her chin in thought. "Hmm, oh yes, Leonidas. I recall Thalia informing me about such a man on their hunt." She looked to Percy, her face slightly curious but mostly cautious. "Is it true that he was able to easily overpower them?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, but not only that, he _stomped_ your hunters." Percy lowered his voice. "He _destroyed_ them in combat. Not even Thalia was able to take him on. I honestly don't know what would've happened if we didn't stop fighting when we did, he was kicking my ass and it was almost like he was able to read my mind, I couldn't out maneuver him."

Her face grew deathly pale. "I was worried of this." She muttered. "Thalia told me of his immense strength, but I honestly did not know if I believed her. Her claims of his strength and abilities… well they were almost like something out of a story. " Her voice suddenly turned serious. "Do _you_ believe that he could be the mortal in the prophecy?"

He hesitated a few seconds. "...I don't want to think that he would be capable-"

"That is not what I asked, Percy." She cut him off, her voice still deathly serious. "Do you believe, by that I mean do you think it _at all possible_ that this 'Leonidas' is the mortal in the prophecy?"

"Yes." Percy said without hesitation to only falter a second later. "But _just_ because he's strong, okay? I _don't_ think that he could be all that bad. He's a great guy, kind, honest, hardworking… I just don't see how he would be able to pose a threat to Olympus." His eyes widened suddenly. "...Unless…"

Artemis instantly picked up on his last word. "'Unless'?" She asked. "Unless _what_?"

Again Percy took a few seconds to answer, thinking over everything he remembered from his weird dream this morning and the woman in it telling him to avoid her champion. "...Unless he is being influenced by someone." Her brow peaked higher this time. "I had someone enter my dream last night, I don't know _who_ she was, but she told me that she had a 'champion' and that she was warning me to stay out of his way, because if I didn't… then I'd die."

"This 'someone' who entered your dream, do you have any idea who she might be?"

"No," Percy shook his head," "Not really, I think that she is related to the sky, but-"

"But the sky has _dozens_ of gods and Titans connected to it." Artemis finished for him. "Did she give you any other information? Such as who her champion was or what their goal was?"

"She didn't say who he was… but she _did_ say that he…" Percy paused to run over his dream again in his mind. "She said that " _he will_ _ **not**_ _hesitate to kill_ _ **anyone**_ _in his desire to save the world… or save me"_." Percy repeated her words, his hand running through his hair as he tried to think what that meant. "But how would him thinking that he was saving the world be relative to the prophecy? It says that he will kill Ares and Aphrodite, how is that saving the world?"

Artemis shrugged. "I do not know, Percy. But let me try to spy on him. If I can pick out his aura at camp then I should be able to watch him." She paused to sit back in her seat and bring her hands to her head, concentrating. After a full minute of this, she dropped her hands and let out a defeated sigh. "Argh, it's no use. I can't even pick him out or see a picture of him."

"Why?" Percy asked. "Because you're weakening?

"In a way," She told him. "That _may_ be a cause, but it is almost like _something_ is blocking my vision of him. Even in my weakened state, I am able to see _you_ at camp, but not him. That is how I was able to sense that you in danger when Ares sent his son to kill you. I am not even able to see an image of him in my mind. It as almost as if he does not exist."

"How is that possible?"

The goddess gave a slight shrug, still confused herself. "It must mean that _whoever_ met with you in your dream, is hiding this 'Leonidas' from my, and the other gods, vision. She must be immensely powerful to do so."

They continued to talk for a little longer, Artemis instructing him to return to camp as if nothing happened, as they could not be sure that Leonidas _was_ that mortal in the prophecy. But also because that _if_ he was sent by Zeus- which Artemis believed since it made sense that he would have one of his servants, ie a being of the sky, work with Leonidas- then it would be unwise to let him know that Percy and Artemis suspected him until they were ready to confront him. As Zeus had banned all contact with mortals, Artemis, along with the other gods, were banned from visiting camp and their trespass would not go unnoticed. So Percy and the campers were left to deal with the possibility of Leonidas being the mortal in the prophecy by themselves. And if necessary, be forced to confront and fight him by themselves without the aid of the gods as well.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Well thanks again for reading. I know this chapter was talky with no action, but it's important. Next chapter will be about the same, but like I said, they're set up for ch11.**

 **I'll try to get part 2 out asap, I've already started it and it shouldn't be much longer than this one. Expect it in the next few days. After that I'll start binge writing as I try to get as much done as possible before I have to fill in for my boss and won't have free time to write.**

 **Is anyone going to Denver Pop Culture Con(Comic Con, they changed the name) this year? I'm going all three days with a few friends. If you're going, let me know and we can meet up for lunch or something or just to say hi. I'll give you behind the scenes info on the story or something if you actually do. I don't have anything planned, of course, since I'm not a big name or anything and there's NO WAY I could get a table or something, but I think it would be cool to meet some of you guys. It's a goal of mine to meet one of you guys one day. Let me know with a PM or on Twitter if you're gonna be there, we can work something out.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas has never been to school, driven a car, been to a mall, or anything that an ordinary person would consider 'normal'. He grew up for twelve years never seeing another person, car, street light, or any example of human activity besides the small house he and his mother lived in. That's why he looks down on mortals, he doesn't understand them and thinks they are primitive.

 **Question of the day:** 'Who is your least favorite main character in any PJ book?' in terms of anything, really. I'd have to say that I didn't really like Hazel very much and found Frank kind of annoying when reading them for the first time.


	19. Ch 10 Part 2: Percy Calls The Council

Chapter 10 Part 2: Percy Calls The Council

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! How's it going? Two chapters in two days? I know, weird. But as I said last time, this is part 2. But I'll also be having to put out shorter chapters or putting them out further apart because of my upcoming extended three weeks of work schedule. But don't worry, next chapter is gonna be HUGE and serves as the mid climax for the story. I have a lot of work to do, so don't expect it for about a week or so. But leave a lot of Reviews, PM or Tweet me to send me motivation and I'll work faster.**

 **I have a new Poll up on my Profile to decide on my upcoming stories, so make sure to vote on that if you can. I'll put the options on a chapter towards the end of this story to let you all read them and vote.**

 **I'm going to Denver Pop Culture Con(formerly Comic Con) this year for all three days. So let me know if you're going, we can figure out somewhere to meet up, say hi or get lunch if you want. Or just walk around a bit if you want. I'm going with some friends that don't read FF or know that I'm a writer on here, so I'll have to explain why I'm ditching them. Anyway, let me know if you'll be there.**

 **I know it's short, but I hope you like it anyway. Sorry for any typos I missed, I didn't have much time to edit as I like. See you at the bottom!**

* * *

Chapter 10 Part 2: Percy Calls The Council

 _[Recap: Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Oracle of Camp Half-Blood, was suddenly attacked and encased in ice by a mysterious figure who burst into her cave. Bestowing on the young Oracle a warning to give to Percy. "Tell Perseus to_ _ **not**_ _challenge my champion, I have ordered him to do_ _ **anything**_ _to win… and my Leonidas would_ _ **never**_ _fail me._

 _After meeting with Artemis, Percy learned of a coming event, the Promised Day. A single day in which all gods would lose a considerable amount of their strength, so much so that they could be truly killed and forced to Fade into the Void. While the weakest gods who were already dying, like Triton, would Fade this day. It was also during this time that Percy learned that many Olympian were going to die this Promised Day, and if anyone were to attack Olympus, then it would be then. So he was tasked by the goddess of the Hunt to assemble the campers and prepare for the coming attacks on Olympus, only three short weeks away.]_

 **(Later that afternoon - War Council Meeting Room)**

Percy was standing in the War Council Meeting room several hours later watching and waiting as his fellow Council members quickly made their way in after he called an emergency meeting to tell them everything that Artemis had told him, as well as Zeus' plans to kill him. Surely, this wasn't going to be a fun meeting. As he was thinking about _how on earth_ he was going to break the news to them, Gardenia the daughter and head of the Persephone cabin came up to him.

"Hey, Percy." She greeted as she approached, offering him a small wave. "Can I talk to to real quick before the meeting starts?"

Percy let out a quick breath, he didn't really want to considering what he was about to say, but he nodded nonetheless. He stepped to the side of the room and gestured for her to follow him. "Of course, Gardenia, what is it?"

"Someone robbed my cabin last night." She whispered to him.

Percy's eyes widened, bringing him fully into the conversation. "What? What happened? What did they take? Did someone break in?"

"I got up this morning and went to our roof to tend to the flowers we have up there like I do every morning, as you know." She started, sending a quick glance to Travis from Hermes. "But when I got up there I noticed that someone had cut off a few of the petals from one of my flowers."

Percy blinked. He was about to tell them news that could _literally_ change all of their lives, start a civil war on Olympus or turn the demigods against Olympus and here Gardenia was talking about a _flower_. He took a breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry, _what?_ "

"Someone snuck up onto the garden we have on my cabin last night, sifted through my plants and herbs and cut off the petals of one of my flowers." She told him as if this were really important.

"Are they dangerous?" He asked, trying to figure out how this was a big problem. "What are they?"

"They're called Moonwalker Hyacinths and no, they're not really dangerous." She told him, sending another look to Travis who now had noticed her looking at him. "They're stimulants-"

" _Ha_ , stimulants." Travis chuckled to himself from a few feet away.

" _Don't_ _even_ start with me, Travis," She glared at the son of Hermes. "Because I _know_ that it was one of _your_ cabin members that defiled my beautiful flowers."

Percy let out a breath, putting his hand to his head and trying to stop his forming headache. "Gardenia?" He called to get her attention from Travis that was currently sticking his tongue out at her. Once she turned back to him he continued. "What's this… _whatever_ you called it-"

"Moonwalker Hyacinths." She supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, _those_. What are they, exactly?" _And why should I care right now_ , he asked himself.

"Well, they're a small genus of bulbous, fragrant flowering plants in the family _Asparagaceae_ that are native to the Mediterranean. They are exclusively lavender in color and only bloom under certain conditions-"

"Can you got the point, please?" He asked, trying to _not_ sound like a jerk, but he had _much_ bigger things on his plate at the moment right now than mere flowers.

Gardenia looked a little miffed that she couldn't keep talking about the flower, but complied. "Well, like I said, they're a stimulant-" From his seat Travis snorted, causing Gardenia to briefly glare at him again. "That was used in ancient times as a sort of powerful caffeine, in a way. It stimulates the mind, causing the mind of whoever to digests it to become hyper aware and alert, incapable of falling asleep for some time depending on the amount taken. Ancient demigods used it when they fought Monsters that had the ability to put people to sleep. Or for when they had to engage in long, night time battles. It's a _very_ rare and valuable flower, not to mention all of the specific conditions it needs to bloom. It took me two years to get it to that state and someone went and cut its petals off!"

Percy blinked. "Is it dangerous? Should we be worried?"

Gardenia shook her head. "No, I don't think so. There _are_ some side effects, such as it being lethal in _explicitly high_ doses, but as it's such a rare flower, I don't even have enough flowers to even get _near_ that level. As it stands I only have the one small pot of five flowers, with that little amount all it would be able to do is keep you from falling asleep for a few hours at most."

"Why would someone steal it?" Percy asked, trying to figure out of this flower was valuable or something. "Would they even know what it was or be able to use it?"

She shook her head. "Most likely not." She admitted. "It is a very rare and little known flower, with only a few being in the states, so the likelihood that a random person knew how to turn it into a concoction, let alone knew what it was, I'd say it would be very low. The process for converting the petals into the-"

"So you're saying that it's not likely that someone stole it one purpose?" He asked, interrupting her. "What if it was just an animal or something?"

Gardenia looked like she was about to say something, but a flash of fiery red hair burst into the room and launched itself at Percy at full speed. Percy was about to draw _Riptide_ until he recognized the person currently latching onto his side.

"Rachel?" He asked in bewilderment. "What's-"

"Oh, P-percy. Th-thank the gods!" She embraced him in a tight hug out of nowhere before briefly looking up at him, her eyes were wide with fear. "We n-need to call the C-Council! The camp is under attack!"

Instantly everyone in the room- which was the entire Council, including Thalia and Annabeth who Percy asked to join- froze at once and all silently looked over to where Percy, Gardenia and now Rachel stood. Out of reaction, Percy wrapped his arm around the frightened girl and instantly noticed that she had ice hanging from her clothes and hair. "Rach," He whispered in bewilderment, noticing how she was shivering and using his body heat to warm herself up. "You're _freezing_. What happened?"

"A-a Titaness appeared in my c-cave yesterday and f-froze me to the f-floor." She told them through chattering teeth. Percy didn't know when he did it, but Will had collected a blanket from somewhere and brought it to the freezing girl. Percy took it from him and wrapped it around her as he helped her to a chair.

"It's okay, Red, it's okay." He reassured her as he helped her sit. Will, Annabeth and Thalia were around him trying to get a look at Rachel, but the son of Apollo quickly shooed them away so he could check up on her.

"Let me through." Will ordered as he forced his way to Rachel, almost pushing Thalia out of the way, a dangerous move at any other time. Once he was at Rachel's side he brought a hand to her forehead. "Gods, she's freezing." He muttered to himself before looking back up to the girl. "Rachel, can you hear me, Rachel? Can you tell me where you are?"

Said redhead weakly shook her head, her eyes fluttering open and closed as she wobbled. "Y-yeah, I'm at… t-the B-Big House…"

"Good, good. Just keep that blanket on you, okay? We need to get your temperature up, it's dangerously low." He told the girl with a soft voice he always used for patients. With a slightly more commanding one he spoke to Leo. "Get over here, use your fire, we need to warm her up."

"On it, _ese_." Leo nodded, making his way over and using a low, controlled flame in his hand brought it close to Rachel to help her warm up and melt the ice still stuck to her.

 **. . .**

After bringing Rachel's temperature back up to a safe degree and bringing her copious amounts of coffee, Will declared that she was well enough to tell the Council what she meant. Without preamble, she started. "I have been having visions about two figures fighting for three weeks now." She looked right to Percy as he sat across the table from her. "All I could see for weeks were colors dancing, running, jumping and fighting in my mind. It didn't make _any sense_ … that is, until yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" Jason asked from his spot at Zeus' seat.

"The image _finally_ became clear," She told them all, not removing her eyes from Percy. "...It's Leonidas, he's… going to kill a man dressed in a royal purple toga… then kill _you_."

The room full of teenagers and young adults was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Every pair of eyes along the table made there way from the Oracle to the head of the table where Percy and Clarisse sat. Percy stiffened by the news, but ignored the looks of surprise or worry from everyone in the room, including the horror-stricken one from Annabeth.

"...What else?" He asked after nearly a full minute of silence.

"I painted a mural of my visions on the ceiling on my cave." She told them, her voice dropping slightly. "Amongst the swirling colors, I saw you two on Olympus, fighting to the death…"

"Are you _sure_ , Rachel?" Annabeth spoke up from next to the Oracle. She was worriedly looking from Rachel to her boyfriend, her eyes wide and fearful. "Percy's going to…" She bit her lip, not able to finish the last word.

Her mane of frizzy red hair bobbed as she nodded. "We can't be sure, what I saw, is _only one possible_ , _the most likely_ future." She paused to wrap her arm around her friend's shoulder supportively before looking back to Percy. "I _can't_ say that you're going to die… but if you're going to fight Leonidas… then it's almost guaranteed."

"Wait wait wait," Malcolm spoke up from his seat, addressing Rachel. "I feel like we're missing something here. Since _when_ have did we declare Leonidas a traitor?"

"Yeah," Pollux interjected. "I don't see how you getting frozen by some Titaness means that Leonidas is-"

"We think that Leonidas was sent by Zeus and Ares to kill me." Percy cut him off, surprising the entire room with his words. Within a second all eyes turned back to him. All at once several voices broke out.

"What?" Leo called out. "That's _loco!_ Leonidas is our friend-"

"He _wouldn't_ do that," Mika agreed. "He's harmless."

"Where's your proof?" Katie asked in a calm voice.

"What are you talking about?" Nico asked in a deathly calm voice.

"What do you mean, 'sent by Zeus and Ares'?" Damien asked.

"Why would my dad want to kill you?" Jason asked in a confused tone.

"That's impossible-"

"I met with Artemis this morning." Percy cut them all off, his voice raised to be able to speak above them all. He glared at all of them until they sat back in their seats and went silent. He then proceeded to tell them all about their discussion, about the Promised Day, the gods that were Fading, Zeus and Ares' plans to kill him and their fears that Leonidas was the mortal in the Prophecy. After taking almost twenty minutes to explain it all, he let out a breath, continuing what we was talking about earlier.

"She sensed that I was in danger the night that Avery broke into Annabeth and I's apartment and tried to kill me. So she woke me up and alerted me. We then learned that Ares had controlled his mind and ordered him to kill me." He sent a quick look to Sherman from Ares. "Your father tried to kill me on two different occasions." Percy's eyes moved to where Clarisse was sitting silently and still as a stone next to him. "I'm sorry, but it's true."

"You said that Zeus was trying to kill you too?" Jason asked from his seat right next to Percy, his voice stiff, not like he was accusing Percy of lying, but like he didn't want to believe it. "What do you mean? What makes you think this?"

"Artemis told me that Zeus and Ares have been conspiring to have me killed… and that they have tried to kill me several times already."

"Not that I don't believe you, Percy." Piper spoke up from further down the table. "But do you have any proof? What if-"

"Zeus asked me to kill Percy." Thalia spoke up suddenly from spot at Artemis' seat, attracting the attention of the entire room. After letting out a shaky breath she continued. "He came to me months ago before Percy left to travel with us… and he told me that the gods were on the brink of civil war. All of Olympus is choosing sides and he asked me to join him… and kill Percy."

From all around the room eyebrows rose in shock. "But why?" Laurel asked. "Why would they want to kill Percy? He's saved Olympus on numerous occasions. And why are they on the brink of war?"

"There's been a new Prophecy." Percy answered, looking to everyone in the room. "Foretelling the destruction of Olympus."

"Fuckin' Minotaur-shit." Clarisse grumbled from next to him, dragging her hand across her face before looking to Percy. "It's _always_ a gods-damned Prophecy! What did it say this time? What's going to happen?"

Percy opened his mouth to speak but Rachel beat him to it:

"Olympus beware the Mortal of Might,

The heir shall strike War and Love in the night,

A long forgotten foe shall rise, an Angel and Lion in disguise,

The Mount shall fall and the Sky will rise,

The Son shall follow the fate of those before,

And slay his father at the door."

After finishing, Rachel shrugged to Percy's shocked face. "I'm the Oracle, if _I_ didn't know the Prophecy, then what good would I be?"

Malcolm from Athena, not surprisingly, was the first one to speak. "Have you been able to work out what any of it means?"

"The 'Mount' _has_ to refer to Mount Olympus." Paolo said. "It sounds like Olympus will be destroyed to me."

"Let's break it down part by part before we get ahead of ourselves." Amethyst spoke up in a calming and passive voice. She looked to the son of Poseidon. "Have you been able to piece anything together, Percy?"

He shook his head. "Not really," He admitted. "But Artemis told me what the gods think it means. First, they think that _I_ , as one of the strongest mortals in history, am the 'Mortal of Might' in the Prophecy."

"But you think that Leonidas is this 'Mortal of Might' because of his immense strength." Annabeth spoke up from across the table from Percy, next to Rachel. Percy couldn't keep the small smile from forming at the corner of his lips. She has _always_ been quick to pick up on things.

"I have to admit, it _does_ make some sense." Malcolm agreed, nodding. "If I had to pick _any_ mortal to be called the 'Mortal of Might', then it would be Leonidas."

"What else?" Lou Ellen asked.

"Well, the second part says 'The heir shall strike War and Love in the night'. Artemis and I talked about it, and the gods, mostly Ares and Zeus, think that I, as my father's 'heir', will try to kill War and Love."

"So in other words they think that you will kill Ares and Aphrodite." Piper spoke up. "But _why_ would they think that you'd want to kill my mom? You don't have _any_ problems with her."

"Yeah," Leo added. "I can see Ares, since he's a major dill weed and you have some bad blood with him, but why Aphrodite?"

"I don't know," Percy shrugged. "They just think that since I'm the biggest mortal threat to Olympus that it _has_ to be me."

"But you're _not_ the biggest threat to Olympus anymore, since Leonidas arrived." Malcolm told them, looking at Percy. "I'm not trying to say that you aren't a powerful demigod, but if we take into account your personal history with Olympus added with your loyalty with them, then I'd have to say that next up is Leonidas. It _does_ make sense."

"But we've never had _any_ problems with Leonidas before. We've sen _no_ signs of him betraying us. He's been nothing but an amazing guy." Holly stood, looking right at Percy. "I _don't_ believe that Leonidas would betray us _or_ kill you. He's one of the best guys I've ever met. He _wouldn't_ kill you! He's one of your, one on _our,_ best friends!"

"Says the girl that has a crush on him." Chiara told the daughter of Nike.

Holly's eyes narrowed as her cheeks flushed. "How _dare_ you, that has _nothing_ -"

"Alright, alright, let's get focused." Percy cut in, giving the two a serious look. "Sit back down and get serious. We have more important matters at hand right now."

"Agreed." Clarisse spoke up from next to him, giving the two the stink eye. "We need to figure out what the Prophecy means." She looked to Percy. "Anything else?"

Rachel answered instead. "Yeah, there _is_ one thing. The third line talks about an old foe rising, along with an angel and lion in disguise. The woman, Titaness, that came to me, looked like an angel if I ever saw one."

"And with his Nemean Lion Skin cloak and gauntlets he definitely looks like a lion." Percy nodded. Rachel turned to him.

"There's one more thing, Percy… The Titaness came to give me a message… for you."

"What is it?" Annabeth asked her best friend.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but Percy beat her to it. "To warn me to stay out of her way and avoid Leonidas." He told the group, letting out a breath through his nose. "She came to me in a dream last night, in it she told me that I was in danger. Which isn't that uncommon, you know, but she claimed that _she_ wasn't the one who was a threat to me. But said that if I didn't stay out of her 'champions' way then I would die."

"Champion?" Nico asked.

"Leonidas." Rachel answered softly. "Right before she left, the Titaness told me to warn Percy to stay out of her champions way, that he would do _anything_ for her and _wouldn't_ fail her." She paused briefly to look around the room. "She called Leonidas by name. _He's_ her champion."

"Is there anything else you saw in your vision, Rachel?" Malcolm asked, trying to piece together everything they had and put it down on a piece of paper in front of him so they could review it. "Did you get any sense of what was going to happen or what we needed to do?"

"What was that thing you said about the guy in a purple toga or whatever?" Travis asked. "Didn't you say something about Leonidas killing him?"

Rachel nodded. "I did, but I only saw it in the painting. I don't know _who_ that's supposed to be. I just saw Leonidas over his dead body."

"So we have to prevent Leonidas killing a guy in purple?" Gardenia asked from the end of the table. "How are we supposed to know who that is so we can protect him?"

"Could be my dad," Pollux added. "Dionysus _is_ connected to the color purple with his wine and everything."

"No," Rachel shook her head. "I didn't get a good look at him, but I'm pretty sure that he was tall, handsome and muscular."

Travis gave a small snort. "Then it's _not_ Mr. D is what you're saying?"

"What if it's Frank?" Piper spoke up suddenly, gaining the attention of the room. "The color of New Rome _is purple_ and the Praetors wear purple togas. And _he's_ tall, muscular and pretty handsome. We have to figure out what he wants with Frank."

"But _why_ would Leonidas want to kill Frank?" Jason asked her. "He doesn't even know that New Rome _exists_. That doesn't make _any sense_ to me."

"Regardless of if it's Frank or not, we have to figure out what Leonidas' plan is before he can start to." Annabeth told the group before looking to her boyfriend. "You said that you and Artemis think that he was sent by Zeus and Ares to kill you, right? Then we need to figure out what his plan is."

"That shouldn't be _too hard,_ " Damien joked. "It's not like he's a strategist, he's more of a 'hit it until it stays down' kind of guy. I mean, he's not _exactly_ the sharpest knife in the drawer, now is he?"

Percy noticed that Annabeth looked like she was going to say something but hesitated long enough for Malcolm to speak up. "So what are we going to do about him?" His words brought the room back to all business again. "We _can't_ just let him walk around camp while he could be plotting to kill Percy or anyone else."

"I saw we gather a squad of my siblings, march down to his apartment and take him down right now." Sherman growled, his fists clenched. "By swordpoint if we have to. If the Council teams up-"

"No," Percy cut him off, surprising everyone. "We're not."

Annabeth stood up from her seat, her eyes narrowed right at Percy. "You _can't_ be serious, Percy!" Her voice was just under a yell. "He could _kill_ you-"

"Beth, stop." His words were soft, calm and kind, but they were enough for him to convey his message to her: _he had an idea._ After a few seconds he tore his eyes from her and looked to the group. "We _will_ be taking Leonidas down, mark my words. Artemis and I talked about it and she thought it best for us to hold him as a prisoner in camp until the Promised Day is over just in case that he _is_ the mortal in the Prophecy. And if not, then him being held as a prisoner will prevent him from being able to kill me or harm anyone at camp. It's a win-win."

The group seemed to take a minute to process all of the information. Percy didn't blame them, in the last hour he had told them so many things that he was surprised that none of them hadn't called him out for being a liar.

After another minute Malcolm spoke up. "But it begs the question, the Prophecy said that 'The Son shall follow the fate of those before and slay his father at the door', it sounds to me that's it's pretty obvious that Leonidas plans on killing his father. So, my question is, _who_ is his father?"

"Yeah, and does he _really_ not know who his father is, or did he lie about that?" Travis added.

Katie nodded. "If he were able to lie about that, then there _no_ telling what else he lied to us about."

"So I say that we figure out who his father is so we can get word to Olympus so they can protect him-"

"No, we're on our own." Percy cut him off. "Zeus has forbidden _all_ contact with us, not to mention that he believes that we plan to overthrow him." Percy shook his head. "He wouldn't believe us, even if he granted us the ability to tell the council. No, we're on our own. I talked to Artemis, she told me that it was up to us to defend Olympus in their stead. That includes dealing with Leonidas." He paused to look every member of the Council in the eye. "It's not exaggerating to say that what we decide to do here will impact the entire world. We will plan to arrest him tomorrow, but for now, we need to figure out who his father is. '

"Well what about Ares?" Leo suggested. "He _is_ the stereotypical example of an Ares kid." He sent a quick look to Clarisse that was glaring at him. "Not that that's a _bad_ thing, of course. But his skill in fighting? That _has_ to be from Ares."

"I agree," Travis piped up. "It also explains his immense strength. Outside of the Big Three, children of Ares are among the strongest-"

"But not the only possibility." Mika cut in from the end of the table. "In terms 've natural strength, _I'm_ the strongest 'ere. But I'm the daughter of neither Ares or the Big Three. He could've gotten his strength from somewhere else."

"Mika's right." Clarisse spoke up next, shaking her head. "Leonidas is _not_ a son of Ares."

"And how'd you know that?" Damien asked.

"Because _I'm_ the former head of the Ares cabin, if _anyone_ could sniff out an Ares kid, it'd be me."

"I agree with Clarisse." Sherman nodded. "He _may_ be able to fight like an Ares kid, but he's _not_ one of us. Besides, he could get his strength and skills from somewhere else," He gestured to Holly and Laurel. "Nike kids are almost just as good in combat as us, he could be a son of Nike for all we know."

"But not really because of the fact that he had a mortal mother." Leo argued. "So his godly parent _must_ be his father-"

"Not exactly," Amethyst kindly cut in. "My godly parent, Iris, fell in love with my mom, _a mortal woman_ , and because of that, decided to use her power to conceive _me_. There are dozens of examples of gods appearing to mortals of the same sex in mythology. So his godly parent _could_ be Nike."

"So you're saying that we have _even less_ to go off of now?" Travis asked. "Great. And here I thought that the obvious answer was Ares."

"He could be the son of some minor god of war, battle, or _whatever_ for all we know." Will added. "But we'll waste all of our time debating on who we think his godly parent is, I say that we move on to what we're going to do about him."

"Will's right," Paolo started. "It _doesn't_ matter _who_ his godly parent is, if the entire Council confronts him when we go to arrest him, then there's _nothing_ that he can do about it."

"I don't know," Piper argued. "You guys are forgetting that Leonidas is _crazy_ strong, we _can't_ just treat him like another demigod. We have to be careful so he doesn't have the chance come up with a plan to escape-"

"Escape? Come on, Piper." Leo let out a small chuckle. "He _may_ be strong, but like Damien said, he's _not exactly_ a child of Athena, we can come up with a plan to arrest him no problem."

"Let's just hope you're right, Leo." Piper mumbled to herself under her breath.

"Then I want you and your cabin to start making preparations to keep him imprisoned, Leo." Percy ordered from the head of the table. "Clear out my office, the walls are lined with Celestial Bronze, it's impenetrable, we'll hold him in there. I want the strongest locks and reinforcements you have, got it?" Leo nodded as Percy turned to Lou Ellen and Clovis. "And I want you to put as many wards on the room as possible, we'll have to keep him until the Summer Solstice in three weeks, so we can't afford to have _any_ weaknesses for him to exploit. You and Clovis keep him in a coma if you have to."

"I'll get right on it, Percy." Lou nodded. Clovis gave a thumbs up, shockingly fully awake for the entire meeting.

Percy looked to Clarisse, Sherman, Annabeth and Malcolm. "I want you guys to start planing how we'll take him down. Annabeth, I want you in charge of the plan. Clarisse, start preparing your cabin to take him down. Select your best fighters and them be in full armor and gear. Leonidas is _not_ the type of guy you want to mess with, believe me, we need to take him down _as soon as possible._ We do _not_ want to tangle with this guy for too long." He paused to give a serious look to the entire group, his eyes stopping to focus on Jason, Thalia, Clarisse and Nico. "I want _all_ of you to promise me that you'll follow this order; if push comes to shove and we can't take him down, then Jason, Thalia, Nico, Clarisse and I will take him on. As the four strongest demigods at camp, we'll stand the _best_ chance of taking him down."

Annabeth let out a low sigh, her voice soft. "That's if it's _even possible_."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, how was that chapter? I know, it was short, but it's a part 2. Chapter 11 will be HUGE, trust me. I'm going to get working on it right away.**

 **I want to address a common 'problem' a few people have had with this story: For any of you who are wondering how no one connected the dots and realized that Leonidas was the one in the Prophecy, you have to remember that only the gods, Percy, Thalia and Rachel knew about it before now. With the gods having their vision of Leonidas blocked like how Artemis said last time. As far as the gods are concerned, Leonidas doesn't exist. They don't know about him. Only his father does.**

 **Another thing, for the same people who are wondering how they haven't figured out that it was Leonidas that killed the hunters, you have to remember that only Artemis, Apollo, the hunters, Percy and Annabeth know about it. And since Artemis didn't even know that Leonidas existed before today, she had to reason to suspect him.**

 **Hopefully that cleared up some of your confusion. Feel free to PM me with any other questions. And yes, before you ask, we'll find out who his father is next chapter.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter with a Review. And make sure to follow me on Twitter and vote on my Poll.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas isn't the first person to think Percy was a god when he first saw him. When Hazel first saw him in Son of Neptune she thought Percy was a god in disguise when she first saw him carrying Juno in disguise. "He'd had an aura of power. He had the good looks of a Roman god, with sea-green eyes and windblown black hair." When Leonidas first saw Percy during their brief fight he initially worried that Percy was a minor god.

 **Question of the day:** 'How do you think this story is going to end?' Tell me how you think the next chapter will go, how the Promised Day will go and any of your thoughts. I'm just honestly curious, but I won't spoil anything, so don't worry. If I were to be honest, I wish that I could read this story like you guys, without knowing everything that was going to happen. You guys are really lucky in my mind.

 **Here's a teaser for the next chapter since I'm nice like that. Here's the Chapter Title, have fun thinking about it:**

 **Next time:** 'How Do You Stop The World's Strongest Man?'


	20. Ch 11: How Do You-

Chapter 11: How Do You Stop The World's Strongest Man?

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone. Sorry about the delay but this was hard to write because of reason you'll find out in the story. I'd normally say some stuff but it's after 10 and I gotta get up at 4 for work, so I'm going to bed right after I post this. Sorry for any mistakes or typos, I didn't have time to check for them. If you guys find a lot I'll edit them. Just let me know.**

 **Follow me on Twitter for Polls(like one going on right now), behind the scenes info, updates and general nerdy stuff.**

 **Hope you liked it. Let me know with a Review.**

* * *

Chapter 11: How Do You Stop The World's Strongest Man?

 _[Recap: After meeting with the goddess Artemis and hearing that Olympus was on the verge of civil war and that the gods were hiding in order to keep the secret of their current weakening state, Rachel revealed to the Council that she had been attacked and that Leonidas was a traitor and working with the mysterious Titaness that had entered Percy's mind not once, but twice warning him to avoid fighting Leonidas._

 _With this information, Percy ordered the camp to prepare to confront Leonidas and arrest him with the intention of keeping him prisoner until the Promised Day has passed.]_

 **(June 3, 2011) (The Next Day)**

"Do you _really_ think that this is the best course of action?" Annabeth and Percy were making their way through their microscopic apartment getting ready for the day ahead. A day, that would _surely_ change Percy's life, but for the better or worse, he did not know. Today was the day that the War Council had decided to arrest Leonidas and hold him prisoner until after the Promised day after learning that he was conspiring with a Titaness. But it went further than that, Percy, along with the goddess Artemis, suspected that Leonidas had been sent to camp by Zeus, the king of the gods, to either kill Percy outright or to keep an eye on him and then kill him if need be. While Artemis may have believed this wholeheartedly, Percy was a little… less sure. It just didn't make sense to him that _if_ Leonidas was sent to kill him, then _why_ hadn't he yet? He and Percy had both been at camp together for two months now and the large man had yet to even do anything that would make you suspicious of him. And it was because of these thoughts that had been endlessly plaguing his mind since yesterday, preventing him from sleeping, that Percy didn't realize that Annabeth had been talking to him until she waved a hand in front of his face.

"I'm sorry, what?" Percy blinked, moving his back slightly from the suddenness of having something put in front of his face. From in front of him he heard her sigh.

"I asked if you really think this is the best course of action, Percy." She followed him as they went from their room to their adjoined bathroom to get ready for the day, "I mean I'm all for determining if Leonidas is a threat, secretly, that is. But to do something rash like arresting him on the spot? _What if_ he was really sent by Zeus? Do you _really_ think that the king of the gods would let us imprison Leonidas?"

Percy grabbed his stick of deodorant and applied it as they talked. "...I honestly don't know." He told her truthfully. "But what I _do_ know is that we've been a step behind the gods and Leonidas since the beginning. And if we don't do something soon then either Leonidas will destroy Olympus or kill me. So I think that our _only_ course of action is to remove him from the board. It's like you said at the meeting, if Leonidas is Zeus' best chess piece, then we need to get rid of him before he can fulfil the Prophecy."

Annabeth sighed as she ran her wet fingers through her hair, arranging it in front of the mirror. "I _did_ say that, but I _also_ said that it was risky, I mean, this is _Leonidas_ we're talking about here, Percy. I _shouldn't_ have to be the one to tell you that he _won't_ go down easily, _you're_ the one that admitted that you didn't know if you could take him by yourself."

"But I'll never know unless I try." He told her adamantly. "Besides, I _won't_ be alone, I'll have _you_ and the rest of the Council with me. And if that's not enough, Clarisse has set up half the Ares cabin as sentries just in case. With a squad of our best Apollo archers behind _them,_ just in case." He paused to turn to her in the minuscule bathroom, putting his hand on her cheek. "I'll be _fine_ , Wisegirl, he's _just one man_ , he have _dozens_ of demigods to take him on."

"But what if you're underestimating him?" She pointed out. "What if Zeus, or this Titaness, which we _still_ haven't learned the identity of, _by the way, doesn't like_ that we're trying to arrest him and come down here? Do you _really_ think that we can honestly stop him? He can defeat the _entire_ Ares cabin in combat in only a few seconds, he can-"

"It's _fine_ , Beth." He cut her off kindly, stepping up close to her and placing a quick peck on her forehead. "I have _faith_ in this plan, it was _yours_ , after all." He pulled back slightly to lift her chin up to face him. "I'll be fine, I don't know how to explain it, but I have this… _feeling_ that I'll be okay, that I have something to do _after_ this. Call it a premonition or vision or whatever, but I _know_ that I'm needed for _something_. I _need_ to do _this_ , so I can do _something_ later. Does that make sense?"

"...Not really." She admitted. He smiled and pulled her close, resting his face into her soft hair. "But since when have our lives ever made sense?"

"But enough about me, are _you_ sure that _you're_ up to this?" He asked softly, playing with her hair mindlessly. "You still have that bug and I heard you throwing up this morning… are you _sure_ that you're okay?"

"I'm fine," She nodded adamantly before lightly slugging him on the shoulder. "Besides, I need to be there so I can watch your back." She let out a soft chuckle. "Gods know that you'd be useless without me."

His smile threatened to break from his face. "You know it, Wisegirl." He bent down slightly to kiss her on the lips. "Now, let's go arrest Leonidas."

oooOooo

 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review)**

oooOooo

 **(Later that afternoon)**

"Everyone have their armor? Weapons? Is everyone here?" Percy was stood on the bottom floor of the Big House in front of a large gathering of demigods. Every member of the Council was present along with several of the best fighters from the Ares cabin and the best archers from Apollo. All in all, there were over thirty demigods gathered, all here to take down _one_ man. The mass of teenagers and young adults all either nodded or mumbled their answers, so Percy nodded and continued.

"Alright then, let's do it. Here's the plan; Amethyst is going to call Leonidas down here once our archers are in place." He sent a quick look to Will and DJ from Apollo, who nodded in return. "They, which form squad _Gamma_ , will be positioned around the Big House behind squad _Beta_." He eyed the collection of the best Ares fighters in their full armor. "Squad _Beta_ will be stationed either in the Big House or around it, based on Clarisse' orders, in the rare chance that Leonidas manages to escape. That means, while the rest of us, the Council, form squad _Alpha_. As squad _Alpha_ we will be in direct confrontation with Leonidas. So prepare yourselves for a tough fight."

Several of the younger or less battle orientated members of the Council gulped or began to sweat nervously. _Everyone_ in the camp knew how strong Leonidas was, so to directly challenge him sounded like suicide to some of them. They only hoped that Percy's belief that he might be able to talk Leonidas down and out of a fight was well founded.

"Remember," Percy went on to continue. "Leonidas _may_ be strong, but he is only _one man_. There are more than thirty of us gathered here today, with our superior numbers, strategy and backup we should be able to subdue him without _too much_ difficulty." Percy turned to face Leo. "Are the chains and shackles ready?"

The son of Hephaestus nodded as he struggled to lift the heavy Celestial Bronze chains over his head. "Sure thing, Perce. My cabin was working on them all night. _Nothing_ is gonna be able to break _these_."

"Did you test them like I asked?"

"That I did, cap'n." Leo dropped the heavy chains to the floor and pointed his thumb to Mika. "I had Mika try to break them for an hour, not even a scratch on them."

"Good, we'll need them." Percy nodded, turning back to face the group. "If we cannot get Leonidas to surrender peacefully, we will move onto plan B. As you all know, plan B has _three_ equally important steps. Step one; Jason, Clarisse, Nico, Thalia, Mika and myself will confront Leonidas in order to try to hold him down long enough to subdue him. The limited space in the room should work in our favor, we'll have all possible exits blocked, he won't be able to go anywhere. Then, the second team, Piper, Clovis and Lou Ellen will use their powers to either pacify him or put him to sleep respectively. Once he is safely passive or unconscious, _and only then_ , will it be time for the Ares campers to get in close and put him in the Celestial Bronze shackles that Leo made. Once he is fully incapacitated, we will move him upstairs into the Celestial Bronze lined room and keep him there until after the Promised Day is over. Understood?"

He received several nods and a few half hearted 'yeahs' from the group around him. "Alright then," He continued. "Keep in mind that our goal is to _subdue_ Leonidas, not _kill_ him, so aim to incapacitate."

Clarisse spoke up in her full armor next to him. "But also keep in mind that _if_ he was sent by a Titaness that he might try to kill _us_. So be cautious, I don't have to tell ya that Leonidas is going to be the strongest demigod you've _ever_ fought. So watch yourselves." The daughter of Ares nodded to Percy to continue.

"If that's all, send a quick prayer to your parents or whoever is listening for protection and we'll get started. Amethyst," He looked to the daughter of Iris. "Call Leonidas down here."

oooOooo

 **(AN: Man oh man, you guys are NOT ready for this!**

 **...I apologize beforehand, some of you won't like me after this)**

oooOooo

 **(A few minutes later)**

After Amethyst Iris Messaged Leonidas telling him to come down to the Big House because Percy needed to speak with him, the thirty or so demigods assembled got ready for his arrival. The Apollo archers lined the trees and buildings around the Big House out of site while the Ares campers were split between staying with the archers or put in different rooms in the Big House. Meanwhile, the Council- dressed in their full armor- got into position in the War Council room at their various seats. With weapons hidden under the large table. As he was making his way to his seat, Percy stopped in front of Kent, the eleven year old son of Aristaeus, gaining the boy's attention.

"I want you to leave, Kent." Percy said to the boy without so much as a greeting. The young boy looked up to Percy with confused, wide eyes that turned defiant.

"Why?" He almost demanded. "Why can't I stay? You're not telling anyone else to leave."

Percy didn't even react to his outburst. "I don't _have_ to tell you, Kent. I have my reasons." He gestured to the door. "Now, please leave."

Jason stood up from near the head of the table. "Why-"

Percy put up a hand to silence the son of Jupiter. "Later, Jason." Turning back to the narrowed eyed boy, Percy continued. "It's not safe, Kent. I want you to leave."

"But you said that you'd need _all_ of us to fight Leonidas! _I'm_ a Council member too! Why can't I stay?"

"Because you're only a child!" Percy nearly yelled, standing over the boy. He let out a breath, calming himself and continuing with a kinder voice yet still authoritative voice. "Kent, you're right, you _are_ a Council member, but _only_ because you're the only child of Aristaeus. You. Are. Eleven. And I _can't_ willingly let an eleven year old with no combat experience enter a fight that he might die in."

The room became deathly quiet for a few seconds after Percy finished. Several of the demigods wanting to say something but wisely deciding not to. That is, until the son of Hades stepped up to the boy after Percy walked off to his seat. Nico put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, Kent. Percy's right. It's not safe for you here."

"But I-"

Nico's voice was deathly calm, but those who knew him well could hear the compassion and emotion in his voice. "Take it from someone who knows, you're _not_ ready for this. For _death_." Nico walked Kent to the bottom floor and ordered an Ares camper to walk him to his cabin. After arriving back in the room, Amethyst spoke up to the group, her voice tense and lined with anxiousness.

"He's here."

Not a half minute later the door to the room opened, revealing a towering, muscular, mountain of a man that filled the entire doorway and more, his head nearly scraping against the low ceiling. He was a solid 430lbs(195kg) of rippling muscle, nearly impervious skin and wrapped in the appearance of a modern day giant. Truly, as his heavy steps caused the floor under him to groan from his titanic weight and the very air around him seemed to vibrate, he more resembled a Monster than a man.

Stepping out of the doorway and halting a few strides from the large table, his piercing reddish-amber eyes scanned every millimeter of the room, stopping to focus on and study every other person in the room for a split millisecond more, his face not showing anything and remaining like stone. He spotted every minute detail, every beat of sweat dripping down Leo's forehead. The way Jason anxiously held his coin that summoned his weapons. The way Sherman and Clarisse seemed to tense at his arrival, among other. Not to exclude the fact that they were all in armor and held their hands under the table. His roaming eyes finally stopped on Percy, but continued to wander to the other people in the room ever so slightly as they drifted around the room.

"You wanted to see me, brother?" His voice was his usual low baritone, but it lacked any of his trademarked boisterous flare to it and remained completely level.

"Yes, I did." Percy replied, trying his best to hide the tension and anxiety in his voice. "We were in a meeting when I thought of something I needed to ask you, so sorry about the audience." He smiled through his lie, trying to come up with some reason why the entire Council was assembled around him.

"Now," Percy started with a plastered on smile. "We were talking and-"

Without preamble Leonidas cut him off, his voice even lower, slower and more menacing than before. "Before we get started…Tell me…"He looked at every member in the room in the eye as he rolled his massive shoulders and popped his neck, causing some of them to sweat even more or tense up. "How did you figure it out?" His hawk-like eyes scanned to Rachel Elizabeth Dare and focused on her. "I assume that the Oracle warned you? I always did find the ability to see into the future troublesome to counter."

Percy's breath hitched. So he wasn't even hiding it anymore? He wasn't going to claim that he didn't know what they were talking about? And how did he figure out that they knew? Percy cleared his throat. "Ehem. So, you know that we figured you out then? Then let's get right to it then-"

"Figured me out?" He interrupted Percy with a slight smile. "Tell me, _what_ did you manage to figure out?"

Jason stiffened in his seat. So far this hadn't gone as planned, he only wished that Percy knew what he was doing.

After a few seconds Percy stood up, Leonidas didn't even react. His face remained emotionless. "There is a Prophecy," Percy started. "About a 'Mortal of Might' that is going to destroy Olympus… And _you_ are the mortal in the Prophecy."

Leonidas actually looked slightly confused by this, his brow raising ever so slightly. "Prophecy? Mortal of Might?" He asked slowly.

"Yes, and you were sent by Zeus and Ares in order to kill me-"

Leonidas' sudden low laughter, like a rumbling sky, interrupted the son of Poseidon. After a few seconds he managed to stop himself, slowly shaking his head as he looked to Percy. "You believe that _I_ was sent by _Zeus and Ares?_ " He chuckled again, ending in a sigh. "My brother, you truly must not know anything about me if you believe that I would align myself with the likes of _them_." His eyes narrowed and and his voice dropped. "I aim to remove such beings from this world."

The entire Council hesitated to reply after hearing his words. Not knowing what to say. But Jason gave it his best shot. "What do you mean, 'remove such beings from the world'? Are you trying to kill my father?"

Leonidas' face twisted into a smile as he faced Jason. "Ah, son of Jupiter. I always found it udd that you were allowed in this Council, but I am glad you asked." He was silent for half a minute as he stared at the entire Council, reading their expressions and seemingly listening to something only he could hear.

"I have been granted a destiny by the Fates themselves." He told them simply, crossing his arms behind his back in a complete showing of a lack of fear from the group in front of him, despite their combined power and skills. "This world, is broken, tattered, in need of fixing. For _too long_ the imbecilic gods on high have driven this world to the ground. War, famine, hunger, violence, rape, greed, lust, wrath, pride, sloth, envy and gluttony. Each of these traits- each of these _sins_ , are _all_ caused by the gods. Tell me… have you _honestly_ never wondered how, in this world with _countless_ agricultural gods and goddess, how there are so many starving people?"

Percy's eyes widened slightly, as did most of the eyes in the room. No one said anything, so Leonidas continued. "Going to bed hungry, scrounging around for scraps like dogs… forced to scavenge from trash heaps, rely on the generosity of strangers, feast upon the carcasses of animals like vultures… Tell me, does it sound to you like the gods care? Nine _million_ people die every year from starvation… _Nine. Million. People._ " He let out a breath through his nose as he slightly shook his head. "This world, is on the brink of collapse. Yet the gods, the chosen protectors of man and this world, sit up on their mountain, laid on pillows of silk, feasting on enough food in a week to feed a small country."

"And tell me, how in a world as supposedly advanced as this with literal divine protectors that call murder taboo and against the will of _Chaos_ , are we allowed and encouraged to butcher each other like animals? Ever since the creation of this world and the Primordials, the world has been out of balance. The gods," He paused slightly to study everyone around him. "Have _no doubt_ caused pain to everyone in this room. Be it lack of affection," his eyes drifted to Thalia, causing the daughter of Zeus to stiffen and narrow her eyes. "Neglect," he looked to Annabeth briefly. "Empathy," his eyes moved to Nico. "Or a complete inability to care for you on the most basic of level," finally his eyes stopped on Clarisse and Sherman.

Leonidas ignored the looks of shock or anger sent his way and continued. "My mother… like _many_ others in this room, did not love me. Instead, she groomed me to be the best warrior I could be. To truly be the undisputed strongest demigod to _ever_ live." His piercing reddish-amber gaze lingered on Percy. "I was born with a _purpose_ , a goal to achieve and a Fate to reach. At first I had planned on _only_ killing my father, Ares and Aphrodite, but _now…_ I understand the Fates led me on this path to do _much_ more… I must _destroy_ Olympus and _all_ the gods on it and usher in a new era of love, peace and serenity never before seen in the entirety of the cosmos."

"You're insane…" Jason muttered wide eyed at Leonidas.

The giant man responded, his words calm and soft spoken, like he truly believed with every fiber of his being that what he was saying was true. "The deaths of a few relics that have outlived their usefulness is a small price to pay for salvation. But I am _not_ a murderer, I do not kill without cause, so I shall destroy the symbols of their strength and power, killing them without _ever_ dropping a _single drop_ of blood. I call that… _mercy._ "

"You're a madman." Clarisse spoke up. "And what is your plan after that? To rule over the world as the new king of the gods?"

Leonidas only slowly shook his head. "Is it mad to fight for a better world? A world without war, hunger, poverty, rape, hatred… without evil? Would you call a mother mad for wishing to give her daughter a better world? Or a father to want to provide a better chance for his children and his children's children at living a better life?" His eyes fell on Clarisse, his voice soft and calm. "No, I would not call them mad, but congratulate them on their will to do what is right and what they must."

"No, I am _not_ a _hero_ , or savior, nor prophesied messiah…" He began to slowly pace in a small circle, all the while his eyes studied the other demigods in the room. "I crave _no_ reconigsation, no celebration, _no_ thanks for my acts. I had originally wished to achieve this in secrecy, _without_ alerting the world of my plans. I fight for the _betterment_ of the world… I am but a man challenging gods to ensure the safety of this world. I have no dreams, nor desires to become a god… all I am is a man with the _will_ to act on his Fate. Do _achieve_ his destiny." A hint of a smile washed over his face as he looked up to the ceiling just a few inches above his head. "Then… I shall rest. I will rise into the sky and live among the stars forever with all that I hold dear in this world. And then… we shall be truly at peace."

"But peace gained by killing _hundreds of gods._ " Katie bravely said from her seat. "You _can't_ justify murder."

"If I destroy Mount Olympus and their thrones, then _all_ of the gods on Olympus would simply _Fade_ into the _Void_ and cease to exist. That, daughter of Demeter, is not _murder_ , but _mercy_."

"If you destroy Olympus and kill all of the gods then the world and humanity would unravel." Annabeth spoke up from next to her boyfriend. She looked at Leonidas with narrowed eyes. "You will kill us all."

Leonidas only tilted his head slightly, as if thinking. "Look around you, daughter of Athena, do you see the Primordials? Helios? Pan? No, all of those beings have safely _Faded_ into the _Void_ without _any_ negative effects on the world. It is true, that the cosmos will be unbalanced for some time as it corrects itself, but in time, as it _always_ has, the world will stabilize. And then in time, the world go go on as if the gods were nothing more than myth."

Now Leonidas moved his eyes from Annabeth and to Percy right next to her. "You have to understand my reasoning, brother. You have been hurt and wronged by the gods more than any other person in this room." He released his hands from behind his back and slowly held his hand out to Percy as he sat across from him at the table. "Out of _any_ mortal in the world, you understand my pain. So I shall ask you this once; join me on my quest to save the world."

The room was silent as they waited for Percy's response a few seconds later. "Of course not." Percy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're crazy to think that I would help you kill the gods."

Leonidas looked unbothered by this, though he did let out a long sigh. "It was a longshot, but I had wished for you to join me." Suddenly his head drifted up to the ceiling where it remained looking for several seconds. Finally he nodded and spoke to it softly. "At once, my love." He dropped his gaze from the ceiling and looked back to Percy. "I am sorry, but my love is calling me." He started to turn to leave. "I must go to her-"

"STOP!" Percy ordered, rising from his chair and summoning _Riptide_. " _Where_ do you think you're going? Have you forgotten what's going on?" From his other side, Clarisse rose in her full armor and brandished her electric spear.

"And what praytell, is going on?" His question was slightly arrogant and cocky.

"You're under arrest." Percy told him, noticing how everyone in the room was now standing and drawing their weapons. "We will hold you until the Promised Day is over and let the gods decide what-"

"Am I now?" Leonidas interrupted him, his face morphing into a mocking, smug smile. He glanced around the room with an unfazed and relaxed demeanor. "I'm sorry, but did you assume that you _could actually_ arrest me and hold me against my will?" He let out a low chuckle like rumbling earth. "How quaint."

"Aargh!" Clarisse moved around the table and pointed her electric spear at Leonidas. "Enough of this! On your feet! Hand over your weapons!"

He grinned. " _Molon Labe_ , come and take them."

Clarisse growled again but Piper, in fear that a fight would break out right at that moment and wishing to avoid it, stepped towards Leonidas, filling her voice with Charmspeak in order to calm him down. "Now now, let's calm down, Leonidas. So hand over your weapons-"

Leonidas summoned his _xiphos_ , cleared the distance and had it pressing against Piper's throat in the blink of an eye. He let out a low growl like the rumbling sky. "I _warned_ you, utter _one more_ word to me, Enchantress... and I _swear_ on the River Styx that I will remove your head from your shoulders." Thunder boomed from overhead, causing the eyes of everyone in the room to widen. "Use your devilish Charmspeaking silver tongue on me again, Aphrodite spawn, and I _will_ kill you."

"Hey!" Jason leapt at Leonidas, pushing his girlfriend as he stared down the massive man, his roman sword pointed at him. "You hurt her and I will-"

"If you have an issue with how I converse with your _Hetaera_ , son of Jupiter, then _prithee_ , raise your blade against mine. I would _readily_ accept your challenge. But challenge me with caution, son of Jupiter, for my might rivals that of the Gods themselves. And if you stand against me, I shall consider you my enemy."

Jason looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something, but Percy stepped forward and spoke. "Wait!" He called out, gaining the attention of the entire room. After a few seconds Leonidas moved his eyes to face Percy. "Let's not do anything stupid, okay? Leonidas, you said that you didn't want to kill anyone if you didn't have to, right? Well we feel the same. So surrender peacefully. We _promise_ that we'll treat you fairly." Percy took another slow step forward, holding open his now empty hands. "But in order for that to happen, you _have_ to work with us. You need to tell us who this Titaness is, what her plans are and who your father is."

Leonidas' brow rose slightly. "You wish to know who my father is?" He asked, his voice hinting at slight amusement. "I think it's fairly obvious myself."

"Enough of your games," Percy told him, his patience slipping. "Who is-"

"I am not one to put much stock in my heritage, believing that I don't need the name of _him_ to gain respect, but only _my own power_. But if you _truly_ wish to know who I am, then so be it!" Without warning the air around him started to vibrate and the floor shook below them as if a thousand war drums were beating at once. Percy doesn't know when it happened, but he found all of the hairs on his arms standing on edge.

"I am Leonidas Dione Reed, Prince of Olympus, warrior of Sparta and future slayer of the Olympians." His voice dropped slightly as he removed his hands from his pockets and thrust them into the air with a mighty roar that shook the very walls." I am the son of Heracles! The god of Strength, Bravery and the Divine Protector of mankind! The strongest god to _ever_ live. You _cannot_ stand against me! I was given a destiny by the Fates themselves, I _must_ kill Ares and Aphrodite in order to save this world. So brother, I _beg you,_ stand aside, I have _no_ wish to kill you. Eos was right, you _are_ a great man, a _true_ hero, a great friend, but… it's as the Spartans said: " _If they stand behind you, protect them. If they stand beside you, respect them. If they stand against you, defeat them."_ "

Suddenly without warning Leonidas charged and threw the nearest person, which in this case was Sherman, through the opposite wall with a sickening 'crunch'. The crowd of Council members watched in awe as Leonidas rose to his full height as his hoodie morphed into his Nemean Lion Skin cloak. As the room still watched him in awe, he smirked as he dropped to a boxing stance. "Well then," His voice was light and mocking. "Shall we?"

With a gust of wind he launched himself at Jason and sent a powerful right hook into his face, sending the son of Jupiter flying back over the table and crashing into Nico. Clarisse slammed the butt of her spear onto the floor, screaming, "Ares cabin! To me!"

Six bulky and heavily armed and armored Ares campers burst into the room through the door and surrounded Leonidas with their shields, their spears facing the giant man. Leonidas grabbed the spear of one of the Ares campers and pulled him back as he launched his other massive fist into his face, sending the Ares camper into and through the wooden wall behind him.

Another Ares camper charged at Leonidas in his anger, only to be countered when the large man caught his spear and used it to slam his opponent into the wooden ceiling before bringing him to the floor and kicking him into the air at the remaining Ares campers.

"Get him!" Malcolm was next to attack, his sword swinging at the behemoth with flawless form and skill, but failed to make contact once. Leonidas grabbed the blade in his bare hand and snapped it with ease, using it to stab the approaching son of Nemesis. Damien dropped to the floor a second later with the jagged blade in his throat. Dead.

"Aargh!" Mika used her immense bulk and strength to charge at Leonidas, catching him off guard and managing to get in two normally bone-shattering punches in before Leonidas caught her third punch and swung her arm behind her, snapping her shoulder in one move.

Leo stepped forwards, ignoring Percy's orders from before about waiting to join the fight. Everything had gone wrong, it was a fight for their lives now. So with this in mind, he raised his hand from his spot a few paces from behind Leonidas and released the hottest and most powerful flames he could at his back. The blue and white-tipped flames engulfed the large man, encompassing him.

"Rraaahhh!" Leonidas roared as turned in the spot and charged at Leo, still on fire. He raised his massive fist and threw it at the son of Hephaestus. But at the last second Percy caught the punch and would've been thrown back through the wall if he hadn't latched onto Leonidas' arm.

"That's enough, Leonidas!" Percy cried. "Surrender or I'll be forced to take you down!"

"I _never_ surrender!" Leonidas yelled back, pulling his arm from Percy's grip and gearing back to punch him again when the son of Poseidon delivered a powerful uppercut to his square jaw.

But Leonidas didn't fly back like Percy hoped, he only glared at Percy as his fist sat there dug into his cheek. "Awe sh-" 'BAAAM!' Percy was thrown back by Leonidas' mighty fist and into the wall. With a quick second, crossed his massive arms and threw them down at the floor, a random gust of wind blowing out the fire that had been on him.

Nico was in front of Leonidas with his _Stygian Iron_ blade within a second with the intention to use the godly metal to destroy Leonidas' soul but found it impossible to land a hit on the massive man. Nico attempted to drop under Leonidas' attack but received a solid kick to the chest for falling for the trick. "Ahhh!"

Clovis and Lou Ellen tried to get close to the massive man, but the limited, cramped space in the room, combined with the twenty odd people trying to fight one man made it almost impossible to get close. So Will, who was beside the two, drew an arrow and shot it at Leonidas' exposed face…

...Only to be caught in the hand of the large man and used to stab Chiara in the eye for getting too close. Chiara was then lifted from the armpit and groin and thrown overhead at Miranda, knocking them both out cold.

From her spot next to Rachel, protecting the defenseless Oracle, Thalia charged her arrows with lightning and sent them at Leonidas' exposed skin on his arms. Peppering him with electrified arrows but doing no more than giving away her position when the arrows harmlessly bounced off his hardened skin with the electricity just washing off of his arms.

A female Ares camper used the distraction to launch herself at Leonidas and jumping atop of his wide shoulders and using her thighs to try to choke him. "Ahhh!" She was thrown off a few seconds later, crashing through the large window and falling the two stories to the ground below.

Without preamble Leonidas launched himself at Pollux and Katie, sending the two campers flying with a few high speed martial arts moves. Stopping a quick second to catch his breath, Leonidas scanned the room around him, eyeing the still standing demigods. Percy and Jason were making their way to him. "If you let me go, I promise to let everyone live-"

"Fat chance, you bastard!" Percy roared as he and Jason launched themselves at the giant man, each grabbing one arm and using all of their might to keep his arms held out in each direction. "Now, Leo!"

Said son of Hephaestus threw one of the Celestial Bronze chains he made to Clarisse and an Ares camper who used the opportunity Jason and Percy gave them to latch the shackle around Leonidas' left wrist as the other two remaining Ares campers cuffed his right wrist. Once he was bound in the chains, each side pulled with all their might in the opposite direction, causing Leonidas' arms to be pulled in separate directions.

"Everyone! _PULL!_ " Clarisse bellowed as the remaining campers bar three picked a side and pulled back on the chain, trying their best to overpower the world's strongest man.

"Grrraaahhh!" Leonidas roared as his arms were being pulled in opposite directions as they tried to force him to his knees. "You think…" He paused to suck a quick breath. "That _chains_ can contain _me_? Have you forgotten _who I am?!_ _No chain_ can contain _me_!"

"Get another chain!" Percy ordered to Gardenia and Amethyst. The two girls bringing another large and heavy Celestial Bronze chain and shackles towards Leonidas, aiming to put the shackle around his neck but couldn't reach because of his superior height.

"We can't reach!" Gardenia cried anxiously, her voice filled with fear. "Get him lower!"

"You heard her!" Percy roared as he summoned his strength so much that his feet were digging into the wooden floor. "Bring him down!"

"Ahhh!" The small army of demigods cried in unison as they pulled with all their might in attempt to bring Leonidas to his knees. Leonidas struggled against the eighteen demigods pulling on his arms, nine on each side as they pulled with so much force that their veins were popping from their neck and their teeth were grinding from the effort.

"Keep going!" Lou Ellen yelled. "We're almost there!" With a final 'huff' from the eighteen demigods, Leonidas was forced to a knee, his massive body shaking the floor from the sudden weight. Lou and Amethyst reached up to put the remaining shackle and chain around his neck and were about to latch it when Lou Ellen yelled to the remaining camper in the room. "Do it now, Clovis!"

Said son of Hypnos darted in front of Leonidas with never before seen speed and raised a single hand in front of the large man's face. "SLEEP!" He cried as he snapped, using his powers to put Leonidas into a deep slumber.

The brobdingnagian of a man slumped to his knees instantly, his chin dropping to his chest and his arms slacking when the eighteen demigods holding the chains let them go and test their grip from the tremendous strain. "By the gods…" Laurel muttered as she dropped her part of the chain. "That was the hardest thing I've ever-"

"Clovis look-" Lou Ellen hadn't even had time to fully warn the son of Hypnos when Leonidas sudden sprung up fully awake, pulled his arms, tearing the chains out of the grips of the demigods, summoned his _xiphos_ and ran the blade through Clovis' chest within a second.

"I was wondering where you were hiding, son of Hypnos." Leonidas mumbled as he pushed Clovis back. "I'll admit, _you_ were the one I was worried about the most… But luckily for me I was able to borrow some Moonwalker Hyacinths from that daughter of Persephone."

"Gah… ah…" Clovis stumbled back, his hands drenched in crimson liquid, falling back onto the floor.

"Clovis!" Lou dropped beside him, pulling his head up against her chest as streaks ran down her face. "No!"

Now with his arms free, Leonidas threw his arms out, slamming the heavy Celestial Bronze Chains against the standing demigods and throwing them against the still standing walls. "Aaaah!" They yelled as they flew, hitting the walls.

Percy was one of the first one to struggle to his feet, his eyes narrowed dangerously at Leonidas. "I _warned_ you, didn't I?" Leonidas told him, no sympathy in his voice. He pointed to the several unmoving bodies around him. "This is _your_ fault, brother. You _should have_ let me leave in peace like Eos told you to."

Percy opened his mouth to retort but Lou Ellen suddenly roared, an abyss black aura surrounding her like onyx flames. "You _MURDERER!_ " She screamed, her hands forming into an array of signs as she cast her magic. " _Incendio!_ " A shimmering wall of flames burst from her hands and engulfed the large man only to be blown back by a shivering gust of wind from his hands. "How…?" She blinked before remembering her anger and sending out another spell.

"Fog of Darkness!" She roared as pitch black mist burst from her mouth at shot at the man with shocking speed.

"You aren't the only one with special abilities, girl." Leonidas threw his bulky arms out in front of him. "Send me some of your power, my love!" Suddenly warm, blinding light shot from his skin and engulfed the darkness before quickly snuffing it out.

The daughter of Hecate stood up from her knee only to be encased in a thin sheet of ice from Leonidas' palm, trapping the girl. " _Stay down_ ," He ordered. "Or I'll be forced to kill you." Lou wisely decided to stay down. From behind them, Percy was rising to his feet, summoning his trident and began to store power for a massive attack. Leonidas' head moved slightly to Percy's direction behind him. "Oh, don't think I haven't thought about _you_ , brother." Leonidas spun on the spot and jumped to the side, drawing a dagger from his belt as he did so and throwing it at the small of Percy back as soon as he was in position…

...Only to be stopped by the stomach of the daughter of Athena.

The room was silent for half a minute until Annabeth began to cough up so much blood so began to choke on the crimson liquid. "P-percy-" 'Thud'. Without preamble she fell face first to the wooden floor in front of Percy. The son of Poseidon watched in shock as the floor became flooded with her blood.

Percy was frozen as he watched Annabeth. Leonidas was as well, but for a different reason. All he could see was not Annabeth on the floor, but Mary, his first love before him. "...Mary…" Came his breathless mumble.

"Raaahhh!" Percy roared as he lifted his trident over his head, summoning up as much power as he could in that moment and stabbing the points of the weapon into Leonidas' Nemean Lion Skin covered back, sending the giant man through the wall out of the Big House and a few dozen feet until he hit a tree. "I'll _kill you!_ " Percy cried as he lept from the hole in the second story wall and onto the ground, the earth shaking and rumbling. "Ahhh!" Percy charged the son of Heracles but found himself hit with his mighty warhammer and sent through the weapon shed and rolling on the ground.

As Percy struggled to his feet with the help of his trident, he heard a collection of cries from some younger campers off to the side. _Gotta take him down before he kills them_ , he thought to himself as he turned around to find what the younger campers were screaming about. A giant, royal blue, eight thousand pound Celestial Bronze Ford Raptor was being lifted over the head of the massive man. Leonidas rose from his knees, struggling under the weight and against his injuries and he lifted it fully over his head.

"Oh no…" Percy yelled, trying to get to his feet to jump out of the way. "Don't you _dare_ hit me with my-" 'CRASH' The earth shook as the mammoth vehicle was thrown overhead at the son of Poseidon with enough force to nearly knock him out, but Percy ultimately refused to succumb to the immense pain. From far off he heard the cries of more campers and the familiar cry of a dragon, but chose to run back to the Big House and to Annabeth instead of towards the screaming campers.

Percy tore into the Big House and flew up the stairs to find a horrid site. Several campers were unmoving on the ground, as most other were nursing severe to light injuries, but the one that made his breath catch was laid in the middle of the floor surrounded by Rachel, Thalia, Piper and Jason as Will checked on her. It was Annabeth.

Percy found himself at her side, trying to pick her up only to be pushed back by Will and Jason. Later he assumed that they were saying something about not moving her in her condition, but he didn't hear any of it as he forcefully pushed the two guys back, scooped her up in his arms and jumped for the second time out of the hole in the wall and towards Thalia's Tree. All the while promising her that she would be alright despite not receiving a response from her.

 **. . .**

When Percy finally made it to Thalia's Tree he found a large group of fifteen or so campers circled around it. Some of them were crying, but he didn't register it as he forced himself through the crowd. Nothing mattered but Annabeth. "Let me through!" He bellowed. "Get the Golden Fleece! Annabeth needs it!" After not receiving said Golden Fleece after two seconds he yelled again. "I said get me the Golden-"

"We can't." Esteban cut him off long enough for him to gain some sense of his surroundings. Only now did he notice the unmoving form of a Bronze colored scales. "Leonidas killed Peleus… and stole the Golden Fleece." He pointed up to the sky. "Then he jumped into the air and flew off."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **So… I'm just gonna hide over here, is that okay? Hope no one got too pissed by this chapter. Normally I'd say something here but it's late and I gotta get up at 4 for work. So see you all next time.**

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas' favorite food is bison steak. Not important at all, but still qualifies as a fun fact.

 **Question of the day:** 'What do you think is gonna happen with Annabeth? Is she okay? Keep in mind what we've noticed about her lately.'


	21. Ch 12: Up To The Fates Now

Chapter 12: Up To The Fates Now

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! Long time no see! I'm SO sorry for the delay, but work has been killer. A little update for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, I'm filling in for my boss until May 6th. So that means 4 extra hours a day as well as working a shift 12 hours ahead of my normal one. So getting used to my new schedule has been difficult. But also, my work(I work for a division of my state government) was threatened by a wannabe mass shooter from out of state. The wannabe terrorist caused pretty much my entire side of the state to be on shut down for two days, causing us to be locked inside our building for several hours until the police and FBI could clear the area. So yeah, the last few days have been fun. But don't worry, I as well as everyone else is safe, the wannabe shooter is no longer a threat to our area.**

 **Remember to vote on my Poll for my next stories on my Profile.**

 **Remember to follow me on Twitter. I post updates, sneak peaks, hints at characters and events appearing in new chapters and put up Polls. Like the one going on right now. Because I'm feeling nice I'll include the Poll at the bottom to let you guys all vote on it in a Review or PM. But from here on out if you want to vote on Polls for this story and later ones you'll have to follow me on Twitter. Sorry if you think it's unfair, but I have to reward my followers with something for putting up with me and and weird, random tweets, okay?**

 **Is anyone going to Denver Pop Culture Con)Formerly Comic Con) this year? Well I am, so let me know if you are and we can meet up or something and say hi. If we do I'll give you behind the scenes info on the story or something. I don't know, I'll figure it out when I get to it.**

 **Well, that's enough delay, isn't it? I how you enjoy this more talky and longer chapter. Hopefully it makes up for the delay? Eh, probably not, but I can dream, can't I? Anyway, make sure to read to the bottom and answer the Question of the Day, we have a bonus one, so look forward to that.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Up To The Fates Now

 _[Recap: Percy, along with the rest of the Council, decided to confront Leonidas with the intent to arrest him and hold him in camp until the Promised Day had ended. But their plan soon failed when Leonidas suspected their attack and prepared for them. The now revealed son of Heracles made short work either defeating or killing a few campers before throwing a dagger at Percy only for Annabeth to take the blade for him. Leonidas fled from the Big House, killed Peleus and stole the Golden Fleece before jumping into the air and flying off North-East.]_

 **(June 3, 2011 - Several minutes later - Empire State Building)**

Only a few minutes after taking off outside the Big House in Camp Half-Blood, a midnight black winged steed touched down outside the Empire State Building. Percy doesn't know _exactly_ what the dozens of mortals around him saw since he paid them no mind, but he could only imagine what they chose to see. _Only_ Annabeth mattered right now.

"Thanks again, Blackjack." Percy thanked the pegasus as he jumped from his back and as gently as he could, swept the still unconscious Annabeth into his arms bridal style and ran off towards the building.

"No problem, boss- Hey! Don't I at least get a sugar cube?!"

Percy ignored the pegasus as he forcefully pushed his way through the sea of tourists around the iconic building. He's sure that he received some insults or complaints as he nearly knocked down a group of people gaping at the building, but it all fell on deaf ears as he entered the building. Having to have caused quite the scene as he carried in an unconscious and bleeding girl in his arms into the tourist destination.

Percy was speaking to the man behind the desk before he even got there, ignoring the long line of people. "I need to get to the six hundredth floor."

Said man behind the desk didn't even look up from the magazine he was reading to answer. "Sorry, son, but there's no such-"

" _Let me up to Olympus before I bring this gods damned building down._ " Percy threatened low enough so that only the two of them could hear. The ground beneath them rumbling and the air around them vibrating.

It was only now that the man moved his eyes over the magazine to look at Percy. Once he did he seemingly recognized him because his eyes widened until he looked down even further and at the unconscious girl currently bleeding out on the floor in Percy's arms and his eyes threatened to burst from his face. "Oh Zeus…" The man mumbled, staring in awe at Percy. "You're _him_."

"You know who I am?" Percy questioned lowly in a hushed whisper. "Then you _know_ it's not an empty threat. I need Apollo _now!_ Let me up there!"

The man visibly gulped. "B-but I'm not allowed t-to… Olympus is c-closed-"

"I don't care!" Percy growled, yelling so much that he gained the attention of the entire room. "This is life or death! I swear, if you don't let me up I'll-"

"Okay, okay," The man put up his hands in surrender. He reached into the desk and handed Percy a keycard that was immediately grabbed. "Just don't tell them _I_ let you up, okay-"

"Thank you." Percy's voice was soft for the first time, surprising the man enough to cause him to blink. But by the time he registered this, Percy had raced towards the elevator, thrown the people currently on it off, and was standing there with Annabeth in his arms. Then the door closed, blocking his view of them.

"I pray to the Fates that Zeus just doesn't kill you on the spot…" He muttered under his breath. "Good luck."

oooOooo

 **(AN: Remember to Follow me on Twitter,**

 **I have a Poll going on right now, hint hint, wink wink)**

oooOooo

Percy leapt off the elevator as soon as the doors opened. He was planning on running all the way to the Throne Room, that is, until he came face to face with a small group of armored warriors wearing the symbol of Zeus. As soon as they saw him, the guards summoned their weapons and brandished them at Percy.

"Halt!" The one at the lead cried. "Olympus has been closed to all mortals by order of Lord Zeus! Turn back mortal, or we shall be forced to-"

"I need help! She's bleeding out!" Percy cut him off, looking down to Annabeth in his arms with pleading eyes. "Camp Half-Blood was attacked. The gods are in danger-"

"Stay back, mortal!" The guard cried, aiming his spear at Percy. "Olympus is closed-"

"I _know_ that!" Percy yelled back, the air around him starting to vibrate in his rage. "But Annabeth is dying! I _need_ Apollo!"

The guard only got closer. The tip of his spear shimmering with power. "That is of no concern-"

Percy let out a low, frustrated growl, the ground under his feet trembling. "Let me through or I swear I'll-"

"My my, what is going on here?" Suddenly a young woman of about twenty or so burst from a calm light in between Percy and the guards. She walked out of the light and elegantly stepped towards Percy when she saw Annabeth in his arms. Her voice very concerned. "My dear, is she alright? What has happened?"

"My Lady." The lead guard sucked a quick breath as she appeared, standing a little straighter as his men copied his actions. But she paid them no mind as she walked up to Percy and held her hand over Annabeth's body.

Percy didn't know who this woman was, but she was _obviously_ a goddess with some authority. Over what and who she was, he didn't know. But she was as beautiful as Aphrodite with a warmer, kinder, more natural aura around her that, in Percy's mind at least, made her slightly more attractive than the love goddess. She had long, flowing blonde locks that fell freely down her back with a crown of beautiful pink flowers atop her head. She was dressed in a lovely, flowing white gown that almost looked like a wedding dress but in a more traditional Ancient Greek style. She was holding a sizable, golden chalice and, oddly enough, had a large eagle perched on her shoulder that watched Percy with intense interest. Percy blinked because of the randomness before coming to his senses. "She was stabbed in the stomach, it's pretty high but I don't know what it hit. She's been unconscious since it happened and it took some time but we finally got her to mostly stop bleeding." He quickly told the woman, hoping to _any_ being that listened that she was kind enough to help as well as a healing goddess. "I _need_ to see Apollo but these guards _won't_ let me. _Please_ , you-"

"She is not well." The woman spoke calmly yet with haste. She moved her hand to float over Annabeth's wound, her eyes widening once it moved over her stomach. "By the Fates, this is not good…" She mumbled to herself. Her hand beginning to emit a soft ethereal light that soothed Percy and filled him with more energy, life and calmed him. Suddenly she looked up to Percy. "We _must_ take her to my mother right away, she is at risk. Come with me."

"Your mother?" Percy asked hesitantly. "But shouldn't we see Apollo-"

"Apollo will tend to your love, do not worry." The woman reassured him softly, washing her glowing hands over Annabeth's stomach. "I have used my abilities and Domain to further her life expectancy at the moment and, in a word, ' _jump-started'_ her body's' self healing and improved demigod rejuvenation abilities. Her external injuries, strain, any scars, lingering pain and energy have been healed, removed or restored, but I have done _all_ I can for her at the moment. While I am not a healing goddess, I have some ability and have done what I can to heal her. But my mother and sister can tend to-"

"My apologies, my Lady..." The lead guard spoke up cautiously, his head slightly bowed to the goddess, unwilling to let his eyes fall on her. Like he did not want to incur her wrath despite the calm, kind and genuinely innocent aura she outputted. "But Lord Zeus has declared-"

"I care not for what my father has declared." She told them dismissively yet somehow still kindly at the same time. "My _mother_ would wish to help this young woman, as do I. So you will allow them entry, understood?"

"But my Lady…," He hesitated slightly, his voice tense. "Your father-"

"Understood?" She repeated herself, a little more authoritative this time.

The lead guard, along with the others behind him hesitated for a second before quickly bowing their heads low to her. "As you wish, my Lady."

The goddess turned back to Percy, a small, warm smile forming on her face. "Be at ease, Perseus Jackson. I sense that the worst has already past for your love. But we _still_ must see my mother and sister. They will tend to them."

"Them-?" Percy was asking but was cut off when she suddenly teleported them into the Olympian Throne Room without warning. In the middle of one of Zeus' speeches, apparently, because the king of the gods was currently sitting in his throne addressing the council when they entered. As Percy, Annabeth and the mysterious goddess entered the room with a dazzling array of lights, it of course gained that attention of the entire council.

"What is the meaning of this?! This is a closed assembly-, oh, daughter," The king of the gods' voice calmed once he recognized the goddess and turned softer than Percy often heard it. "What is it? Has something happened?" Zeus was actually sounding _kind_ , that is, until he laid eyes on Percy. "What are _you_ doing here? Olympus is closed-"

"Mother," The goddess cut off Zeus without so much as a worry. Looking right to Hera beside him and gesturing to Annabeth in Percy's arms. "This young woman has been injured. I have done what I can but she needs your assistance."

Hera rose from her throne and looked to Annabeth in Percy's arms. "Tell me what has happened." She ordered as she made her way to them. Motioning her hand in a 'come here' action to Apollo. "Come, Apollo, this young woman is injured."

"Annabeth…" A goddess with striking stormy grey eyes slowly rose from her throne, her face filled with shock. "No…" Athena was besides her daughter a few seconds after Apollo arrived and summoned a medical cot for Percy to place Annabeth on.

"Percy?" Poseidon looked to his son and his son's girlfriend with fearful eyes. He too made his way over to the small group.

"What happened to her?" Hera asked Percy, not wasting a second and summoning a soft aura around her hands and holding them over Annabeth's stomach. "By the Fates…" Her eyes widened. She quickly faced Hermes. "Retrieve Eileithyia right away, we will need her assistance. As well as Asclepius to assist Apollo."

Hermes hesitated slightly, eyeing Zeus but the king of the gods was so stunned that he didn't say anything, so Hermes nodded before racing off. "Right away, my Lady."

"She was stabbed in the stomach by a knife." Percy told the goddess quickly. "It was thrown-"

" _What_ has happened to my daughter?" Athena demanded, looming over Percy. "If you have harmed her-"

"She was hurt by another demigod at camp." Percy cut her off, his tone becoming defensive over the accusations, a dangerous endeavor. He quickly looked to Zeus still on his throne. "Camp Half-Blood was just attacked! A demigod attacked the War Council, killed a few of us, almost killed Annabeth, stole the Golden Fleece and killed Peleus!"

Zeus looked like he was going to say something but Artemis beat him to it. "Was it this Leonidas that we suspected?" She asked Percy as she approached, now almost half the council was off their thrones and around the injured young woman. "He managed to defeat the entire War Council by himself?" Her voice was filled with nerves and fright as Percy nodded. "You _cannot_ be serious. _No_ mortal should be able to do that."

"How is she, Apollo?" Hera asked as the medicine god examined the young girl. Her hands still emitting an ethereal glow and hovering over Annabeth's stomach.

"Her vitals have leveled, her life is no longer at risk. However, she will have a _very_ lengthy recovery once I manage patch her up." He answered, looking from Hera to Percy. "But I need to examine the wound, may I?"

Percy didn't even hesitate. "Of course."

"Alright." Apollo nodded, summoning a pair of long medical scissors. "I will do my best to keep her as modest as possible."

"Be sure that you do, brother." Artemis warned him as she stood next to Percy.

With that the god cut a straight line from the hem of her shirt to just under her chest, being extra careful about the dagger that was still in her. Once the wound was visible to the air Percy's breath hitched, he hadn't seen it yet. And while he had seen _much_ worse injuries before, this one was on _Annabeth_ so his judgement wasn't very clear.

"The dagger has punctured her small intestine, just missing the kidney by a few hairs. Luckily it isn't very deep. And thank the Fates that this is a silver blade and not a Celestial Bronze one… We must be thankful that Annabeth is not a werewolf, as it would have killed her on the spot if she was." Apollo muttered as he inspected the wound, summoning a vial of Nectar and lightly pouring it over the wound. "And the blade has seemed to miss anything vital, excluding her small intestine, but I can easily handle that. I can tend to her internal injuries in _time_ , but I _need_ to move her to my palace. In my weakened state, I _cannot_ heal her outright, this will take some time. I may have to put her in a healing sleep until after the-"

"What is that?" Percy asked, cutting the god off worriedly.

"What you would call a 'healing coma'." Hera told him kindly as she continued to wave her glowing hands over Annabeth's lower stomach, away from where the blade hit. "With our dwindling power even _we_ can't heal her right now. It may be the only option-"

"Do _whatever_ you need." Percy told her. "We can-" He started to say but it was finally now that Zeus seemed to realize everything going on because the king of the gods stood from his throne and moved towards the small group.

"You will tell me what has transpired at Camp Half-Blood." He ordered strictly, looming over Percy like the overdramatic king of the gods that he was. His eyes darted quickly to Artemis before returning to Percy. " _What_ demigod do you speak of? _What_ has happened to the Golden Fleece?" His voice then lowered dangerously. " _Then_ you will tell me _why_ you seem to believe that you can storm into a private assembly while Olympus is closed-"

"Please do not be angry with Perseus, father. _I_ allowed him entry." The mysterious goddess stepped up to the king of the gods, putting her delicate hands in his larger one in a begging fashion. Looking up to him like a pleading child she spoke. "I could see the pain and desperation in his eyes for his love… and I _could not_ deny him assistance. Such a thing would be _impossible_ for me." Her eyes grew slightly larger like a puppy begging for forgiveness after a scolding. " _Please_ to not be angry with me, father." Her voice started to shake like she was trying to hold in tears. "I was _only_ trying to help-"

"I could not be angry with you, daughter." Zeus reassured the goddess kindly, placing his large hand on her shoulder and offering her a rare smile. It disappeared however when his eyes moved to Percy. "I see that I have no choice but to grant you permission to _briefly_ stay here, Perseus Jackson." He told Percy coldly with narrowed eyes. "But as soon as Athena's daughter is healed, you will _both_ have to leave. Olympus is closed-"

"Because of the Prophecy and the Promised Day, I know." Percy said quickly, gaining the attention of every god in the room bar Apollo as he continued to tend to Annabeth. Percy looked right to Zeus. "The Mortal of Might in the Prophecy has been discovered. _He_ was the one that attacked the War Council at camp, killed a few of us and hurt Annabeth." Percy said the last part looking right to Athena before turning back to Zeus. "I _also_ know that you tried to have me killed, several times." The king of the gods instantly stiffened, as did every other god in the room as if the sensed Zeus' internal shock. "But I honestly don't care about that right now…" Suddenly Percy did by far the single _dumbest and bravest_ thing he had _ever_ done in his life and grabbed the god's expensive silk suit around his tie and forcefully brought Zeus' face down to meet his with a sudden jerk, ensuring that the god could see the boiling ire in his eyes.

Percy's voice was like bristling venom. "But once this is all over… I _swear_ on the River Styx that you will answer for _everything_ you've done to us demigods and this world. Mark my words. Maybe Leonidas was right in believing that you should die…" The thunder boomed overhead so loudly that the very marble floor beneath them shook, causing the entire room of gods to stare at Percy with wide, terror filled eyes. A _mortal_ had just openly challenged and threatened the _king on the gods_ and lived to tell the tale. Standing there still as a statue with a fistful of Zeus' suit in his hand as he stared down the god, with a powerful aura of vengeful energy rolling off of him, the other gods in the room fully understood why Zeus feared Percy so. If he wanted he could most likely kill a few of them in their current states before being subdued by Zeus' guards.

Percy roughly released the god with a dismissive hand and looked back to where Annabeth laid. "Right now I _only_ care about Annabeth… _but_ we also have to worry about Leonidas…" He looked right to Artemis, his eyes betraying his forced calmed exterior. "He plans on destroying Olympus and killing _all_ of the gods on it… so we have to prepare for war." Percy then went on to tell them all _everything_ that happened. From the beginning when he and the hunters ran into Leonidas in the woods, to his random appearance at camp. The giant man's immense strength, skill, natural talent and intellect. His ability to affect the courage of his enemies. _Everything_. Several of the gods interjected once every so often to ask questions or add their thoughts, but _every_ one of them, Zeus and Hera included, were surprised to hear of his lineage.

"His name is Leonidas Dione Reed… and he is the son of Heracles." Percy told them, receiving a wide spectrum of reactions from confusion to complete and utter surprise to Athena's eyes widening as she covered her hand with her mouth and forcefully sitting down next to her daughter in what looked like shock. But Percy ignored her reaction and continued. " _That's_ where he gets his strength from. We assumed that he was a son of Ares."

"I would be proud to call him my son if his strength and battle prowess are even close to your claims." The god of war chimed in. "But I didn't know that Heracles even _had_ demigod children."

"Neither did I." Zeus said from his throne, sitting down to listen to Percy's story as Apollo tended to Annabeth with Hera's help. "I knew that my son abandoned his duty at the Pillars of Heracles for some time, but I did not know why."

"Nor did I, husband." Hera nodded from her throne next to him. "If I had I would not have chided him so for ignoring his duties. I just _assumed_ that he was rebelling against his duty again. I do not believe that _anyone_ knew-"

"I did." The mysterious goddess with the eagle perched on her shoulder spoke up, interrupting her mother and queen of the gods. She was sat with immaculate posture at the foot of her mother's throne, in between her parent's thrones, now looking up to Hera.

"You did?" Hera sounded astounded by this. "And you were not enraged by his unfaithfulness?"

The beautiful goddess only softly shook her head, her dazzling blonde hair shimmering in the light. "I will admit that I was hurt for some time that he had fallen for another woman… but I soon realized that the love between them was not because of any spite or hatred for me, but was genuine and true." She gave a soft half smile. "I cannot say that it did not hurt, but I forgave him in time. And he, in time, came to me to tell me what he dad done, that he had sired a child with another woman. He begged for my forgiveness, so I gave it."

"But how?" Her mother asked, genuinely not understanding. "Why?"

"Because that is what lovers do," She told the goddess of marriage with a soft smile. "They forgive each other. Because they love one another."

Hera said nothing as she let this sink in. From next to her Zeus cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention again. "You say that this mortal, this son of Heracles, my grandson, is aiming to destroy Olympus on the Promised Day?" He asked Percy, receiving a nod.

"Then I say that we assemble our armies and meet this mortal blade for blade!" Ares said from his fiery thrown. "We still have the strength at the moment to destroy him outright, _no_ matter if he has the help of a Titaness or not."

"Do you know of which Titaness is assisting him, Percy?" Hephaestus spoke up from his throne, twiddling with a few gears, assembling and disassembling them as he spoke. "You did not say who she was earlier."

"She would not tell me who she was," Percy shook his head. "But Leonidas mentioned who she was. He said something like… 'Eon', 'Eoe'... _something_ like that." Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Ah, it was Eos!" His shoulders slumped slightly as he wore a confused expression. "But _who_ is 'Eos'."

"She was the Titaness of the Dawn many eons ago." Artemis said from beside him. "But we can tell you more after we take Annabeth to Apollo's palace." She faced Apollo. "Are you ready, brother?"

He nodded but faltered slightly seeing the large gathering of gods around the unconscious young woman. "Yes… but _only_ you, Percy and Athena will be permitted to come." He told the other gods. "I need to focus on keeping her vitals level, and we do _not_ need a large audience."

"I will be coming as well." Hera spoke up from her position still holding her glowing hands over Annabeth's lower stomach. "You will need my abilities. Even you or I cannot help them like Eileithyia can. So until she arrives I _must_ be there to ensure their safety."

Apollo didn't even give it a moment's thought. "Of course, Lady Hera. I appreciate your assistance." He nodded to the queen of the gods before letting the various tools he had been using to disappear, the action tiring him slightly if his heavy breathing and slow movements were anything to go by. He quickly looked to Hestia who sat at the Hearth. "Will you tell Eileithyia and Asclepius to meet us in my palace please, aunt Hestia?" After receiving a quick nod he faced the small group. "Well then, let's get going. Time is _not_ on our side." With that the god _Flashed_ away with Annabeth and Hera, Athena quickly following them. A second later Artemis stepped up to Percy, put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner, then they too _Flashed_ to Apollo's palace."

oooOooo

 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review)**

oooOooo

 **(Later - Apollo's Palace, Olympus)**

" _Who_ is this 'Eos'?" Percy asked. "And _why_ would she work with Leonidas?" It had been almost an hour since they had traveled to Apollo's palace. And in that time Apollo had taken Annabeth into an infirmary deep in the palace to work on her with Hera, making Percy wait with Artemis and Athena in the entryway lined with comfy couches and overstuffed chairs. After some time, Asclepius, the god of medicine and doctors arrived and immediately went in to assist Apollo and Hera. And not so long after that a middle aged goddess with a slightly heavier set and wider girth than Percy was used to seeing when looking at the usually perfect, beautiful and attractive gods and goddesses he normally saw, arrived. She was dressed in what almost looked like an old fashioned nurse's uniform combined with a nun or something with a large hood and long flowing crimson robe. She wore a pure white headdress atop her head with a matching white apron down her front. This, as Artemis had informed him via a whisper, was Eileithyia, a daughter of Hera. But besides that small piece of information, Percy didn't know _anything_ about the new goddess, he only hoped that _whoever_ she was, that she could help Annabeth where Apollo, Asclepius, Hera and the young mystery goddess from earlier couldn't.

"She was the Titaness of the Dawn like I told you before." Artemis told him after finally getting him to sit and stop his constant pacing that he had been doing since Apollo left with Annabeth. "She was the sister of Helios and Selene, the god of the Sun and goddess of the Moon, respectively."

"But she, like her brother and sister, _Faded_ long ago." Athena spoke up from her seat several spaces away from them. She didn't bother to look up to them, only spoke as she faced the marble floor in front of her.

"But she _couldn't_ have _Faded_." Percy said to the goddess. "I _saw_ her. She showed herself to me and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our Oracle. And besides, Leonidas seems to believe she's alive. And if she wasn't, then _where_ did he get the ability to fly and control air and light? He's the son of Heracles and Heracles _can't_ do that."

"You are right about that, Percy." Artemis agreed with a nod. "But I would have thought it impossible for _any_ Titan or Titaness to grant their powers to a mortal, demigod or not."

"That is what perplexes me as well." Athena added. "In order for the mortal Luke Castellan to bear the power of Kronos, his body had to be strengthened with the Curse of Achilles so his body would not be simply destroyed from his immense power. Leonidas, while immensely strong and his body much more durable than normal, lacks the sheer invulnerability the Curse of Achilles grants."

"But Kronos _didn't_ grant Luke any powers," Percy cut in. "He _took over_ Luke's body as his own. It doesn't seem like that's what Eos and Leonidas are doing."

"I concur." Athena agreed, though her eyes were distant like her mind wasn't fully there. "I was merely stating the only other known partnership between a Titan and a mortal in recorded history. As far as I am aware, Leonidas is the _only_ mortal to be granted the powers of a Titan. Eos must have made him her mortal champion, and as such, bonded them together as one."

"What does that mean?" Percy asked.

"We gods do not promote mortals without much deliberation," Athena explained instead. "As with you, Hestia named you her champion, so you, in turn, were granted with her support if you were ever in need. But for Titans… their method of choosing a champion _must_ differ greatly. This is merely conjecture at this point, but I suspect that Eos and Leonidas may have, in a word, _entangled_ their life forces."

Even Artemis next to him had a confused look on her face. "What do you mean, sister?"

"I mean," Athena went on, standing from her seat and beginning to pace again. "That Eos, in desperation of _Fading_ as well as in her severely weakened state, may have tied her own life force to Leonidas in order to heal herself using his natural demigod regeneration abilities. And, in turn, Leonidas would be granted with some of her abilities."

Percy's eyes widened as he spoke. "And now with the Golden Fleece _he_ , and now _she_ , are both fully healed."

"This is merely a theory, but I believe that this is the most likely outcome." Athena nodded slowly to herself as she paced the large room. "I suspect that this is how Leonidas, combined with the abilities of his father, is so powerful. He is, technically, a son of Heracles, a Legacy of Zeus as well as due to his union with Eos, the closest thing to a…" The goddess paused slightly to let out a visible gulp as she wore a terrified expression. "... A _demi-Titan_ that the world has _ever_ seen. _That_ explains how he is so powerful, he is _no longer_ fully mortal or a demigod, but almost a new species. A _demi-Titan_."

"But _how_ is that possible?" Artemis asked her sister quickly. "That has _never_ happened before-"

"Just because it has never happened before does not mean that it is impossible, sister." Athena cut her of softly, her eyes distant as she thought. "But that does not explain _why_ she wishes to destroy us. If I remember correctly she was a pacifist Titaness, was she not?"

"Yes, I believe so." Artemis nodded. "While she and I shared many similarities with our Domains, she was always the most distant and reclusive of her siblings. I cannot even remember a single instance of us having a conversation. So I do not know why she would wish to destroy us either."

"I don't know about Eos," Percy started, looking to the two goddesses. "But Leonidas had a personal grudge with Aphrodite. From what he told me, he _hated_ her. He even told me that he did not believe in love as a child until he fell in love with a mortal named Mary." Percy's voice dropped slightly. "...Then she was killed in front of him. And he blames Ares for that. Which would explain why _he_ would want Ares and Aphrodite, or, Love and War, dead."

Athena rose her finger up to her chin in thought. "As far as I remember, the only god she ever had contact with was Apollo after her brother, Helios _Faded_ and Apollo took over his duties. But we cannot interrupt him right now to ask. Oh, yes, if I remember correctly, didn't Eos have a rather big disagreement with Aphrodite a few millennia ago?" She looked to Artemis. "Aphrodite _may_ be able to shed some light on Eos, shall we ask her?"

"I would rather not, but if we must..." Artemis muttered under her breath before talking louder to the ceiling. "Aphrodite, if you are not occupied messing with the love life of mortals or applying makeup, we could use your assistance. So come here."

A split second later a bright pink puff of perfume appeared beside the goddess of the hunt. An absolutely stunning goddess dressed in a rather revealing pink fluffy bathrobe stepped out of the cloud and immediately wrapped Artemis in a hug.

"Oh Arty! It's _sooo_ good to see you~!" Aphrodite cried as she enveloped the shorter goddess. "We haven't talked in _ages_ , you never call, you never write-"

"Enough of your mindless prattle. And _get off of me!_ " Artemis shoved the taller goddess off of her and started to fix her hair that got messed up in the exchange.

"Oh, allow me, Arty." Aphrodite pointed a finger at Artemis and without warning her hair morphed into an elaborate braid that snaked down her back elegantly. "Oh I always _loved_ that braid on you-"

"If you are done, Aphrodite, we have some questions for you." Athena stepped in and quickly brought the conversation back to business.

"Oh, Athena, you're here too?" Suddenly the love goddess let out a high pitched shriek and rushed towards Percy. "Perseus! Oh you poor, poor thing! I'm _so_ sorry this happened to you!" She quickly wrapped him in a tight embrace that made him more than a little bit uncomfortable due to the fact that she was wearing nothing but a bathrobe and he was pretty sure that he could feel _nothing else_ under it. After a few seconds he managed to pull himself free and averted his eyes from her.

"Will you _please_ leave the young man alone, Aphrodite?" Artemis scolded the older goddess. "And for _Chaos'_ sake, put on some clothes before you give him a heart attack."

"Oh right right, sorry about that, my dear. I had just finished up with an absolutely _heavenly_ full body massage and soak in my palace and was getting ready for bed when my favorite goddess called. But alas, I should not temp you so, Piper got on me last time for attempting to flirt with her friends. That girl needs to learn to relax, if you ask me." She winked to Percy before snapping her delicate fingers and transforming her robe into a beautiful sundress. "Now now, what can I do for you my dears-"

Suddenly another figure appeared in a dazzling array of lights next to Aphrodite. "Ah, Aphy, _there_ you are. I was-" The goddess stopped once she noticed the small group and Percy's eyes widened again. It was the _same_ mystery goddess from earlier that brought him to the Throne Room. She was dressed the same as before but the eagle that had been previously sitting on her shoulder was absent. The young goddess looked to Aphrodite. "Am I interrupting something? My apologies-"

"No no, it's alright, dear." Aphrodite assured her. "Arty, Athena and I were just chatting and-"

"Actually you _are_ interrupting, sister. We must speak with Aphrodite, it is a matter of priority. You can speak with her afterwards." Athena spoke up a little rudely, most likely quickly losing her patience. She turned back to face Aphrodite. "Do you remember the Titaness Eos?"

"Nope." Came Aphrodite's quick reply before she immediately spoke again. "Oh wait, _yes_ , yes I _do_ remember her. I think."

Athena's eye twitched slightly. "You think? It is a yes or no question."

"It's yes," Aphrodite nodded quickly. "I remember her."

"Are you _sure?_ " She asked the love goddess, receiving another nod. "Care to enlighten us?"

"Oh she was _awful!_ " Aphrodite waved her hand at the last word, turning her nose to the ceiling. "I remember everyone said that _she_ was the most beautiful woman on Olympus when _I'm_ clearly the most beautiful. She had _such_ a high opinion of herself, thinking that she could just waltz around batting her lashes and bed whoever she wanted-"

"You mean like you?" Artemis cut in, receiving a narrowed eyed look.

"As if. _I_ have boundaries. _She was never faithful whilst I_ -"

"Faithful?" Percy cut in this time. "Other than Zeus, you're like the _most_ unfaithful person on Olympus. Aren't you married to Hephaestus?"

"Yes, she _is_." The new addition to their small group nodded eagerly to Percy. "And my poor brother has been heartbroken by her unfaithfulness for millennia. And, if I remember correctly, Eos wasn't married. Right, Athena?" The younger goddess faced the goddess of wisdom.

Athena nodded. "As far as I remember she wasn't. I seem to remember that she had a few relationship throughout history, but they all either ended in tragedy or death. Or both."

"That _doesn't_ matter," Aphrodite interjected. " _I_ caught her having an affair with Ares-"

"But weren't _you_ , and still _are_ , in an affair with Ares?" Athena cut her off. "Where is the faithfulness that you spoke of earlier?"

"It doesn't exist." The other goddess said cheerfully, receiving a scorned look from Aphrodite.

"My word, Hebe. _Whose_ side are you on?" Aphrodite held her hand to her heart like she was deeply wounded. "You _know_ I'm trying to be more faithful to my husband."

"Hebe?" Percy asked, looking to the blonde goddess. "Is that your name?"

"Why yes it is, Perseus." She gave him a warm inviting smile that caused Percy to smile back due to her cheerfulness. She stepped up to him with immaculate posture and form and held her hand out delicately to him like she wanted him to take it. "It is lovely to finally meet you after so long."

Percy raised a brow at her hand held out before him, looking over to Artemis for some sort of direction. The goddess of the hunt promptly nodded telling him to go ahead. "...It's good to meet you too, Hebe." With a slight delay he took her hand and went to lightly shake it but was surprised by her unassumingly strong grip. "But please call me Percy," He requested with a smile. "'Perseus' makes me feel old."

Hebe chuckled lightly to herself at this, her smile widening and her cheeks meeting her eyes. "Makes you feel old? Oh my dear, you are _so_ young. Your body still flows with youth and will so for many years to come. So I would appreciate it while you can."

Artemis saw Percy's confused expression and explained for him, gesturing to her half-sister. "Hebe is the goddess of Eternal Youth, the Prime of Life as well as Forgiveness."

Percy's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, I remember you from history class at camp. Aren't you the cupbearer of the gods or something?"

Hebe's smile peaked slightly at the corner of her mouth. "Why is it that _that_ is always what people remember me for?" She asked herself with a slight chuckle, so Percy knew that she wasn't upset, not that she even _seemed_ like she could get upset. "But yes, Percy, I am the cupbearer of the gods. I tend to my mother, father, as well as the other gods during parties and events." Her face lit up slightly like she just remembered something. "But I am also the Patron of Brides, don't forget. So I expect to be invited to your wedding so I can offer Annabeth some advice and bless the union-"

"There will be _no_ wedding." Athena cut her off coldly. Her eyes turning fierce as she faced Percy that made him grateful that looks couldn't kill. "My father, Zeus, as well as myself, have _rejected_ his request to marry my daughter."

Percy let out a low growl from between his clenched teeth. "Which is _still_ a load of Minotaur-"

"Maybe it would be best to talk about this later." Artemis cut her half-sister off as kindly as she could as to not start an argument with all the pent up frustrations and emotions swirling around the room. "Perhaps we should get back to asking Aphrodite about Eos?" She tuned to the love goddess with an expectant look.

"Oh yes, _Eos_." Aphrodite spoke the Titaness' name like a slur. "Well, as I was saying before _someone here_ so _rudely_ interrupted me, I caught Eos and Ares, whom I was _dating_ at the time, mind you, in an affair. So I cursed her." She then gave a slight unbothered shrug like it wasn't a big deal. "Then she left Olympus and never came back as far as I know. And good riddance if you ask me-"

"You cursed her?" Artemis cut her off. "And you did not feel that this piece of information was important enough to mention earlier?"

Aphrodite just gave another shrug. "It was _just_ a little curse. No harm done-"

" _What_ kind of curse?" Athena asked, interrupting the goddess.

Aphrodite raised a delicate finger to her chin in thought. "Hm, let's see… Eos' curse, Eos' curse, Eos' curse." She repeated this like a mantra to herself as she tried to remember. "I've cursed _so many_ people it's hard to keep them all straight."

"Well _try_ to remember, this is of utmost importance." Athena's eye ticked in irritation.

"Perhaps you should curse less people," Percy muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So that you can remember one curse from another."

"Or perhaps so that less people hold onto grudges with you." Hebe said cheerfully from next to her friend. When Aphrodite looked to her with a hurt expressions Hebe's smile faltered slightly, but she maintained her stance. "I am merely stating my opinion, Aphy. Quite a few gods and goddesses speak poorly of you… so perhaps you should treat them better so that they, in turn, treat you better."

Aphrodite looked like she was about to say something but Athena spoke up first, bringing the conversation back on point. "Do you remember the curse you placed on her or not?!" She snapped, her voice rising so that it rung in the large room they were in. The others in the room were taken back by the sudden outburst, but admitted that her frustration was understandable given the circumstances with her daughter.

Aphrodite nodded quickly. "Yes, I do. To pay her back for lusting over Ares, I cursed her to forever have an uncontrollable lust over handsome young men. So much so that it is practically debilitating and almost painful. But just out of spite I made it so that every man she falls for dies prematurely." Her expression turned smug. "It sure showed her, didn't it-"

"You're despicable!" Athena cut off the love goddess. "Placing an eternal curse on someone to endlessly fall in love only for their lovers to die? That fate is worse than Calypso's! Didn't Zeus forbid you from placing such terrible curses on people?"

"He did long after the fact, yes." Aphrodite nodded. "But since no one besides me and her knew of the curse, I didn't get in trouble with Zeus. Honestly, it has been so long that I had forgotten about the whole thing." She gave a one shoulder shrug. "I doubt that she even remembers it."

"I doubt that she could forget, Aphy." Hebe told her without her trademark smile. "And I also doubt that she would forgive you. What you did to her was _awful_."

"And now we _all_ have to deal with the repercussions." Athena added, giving Aphrodite a narrow eyed glare. "You _do realize_ that your petty jealousy for Eos could be the cause for the entire destruction of Olympus, right?!" Athena shouted in her face, stepping closer to the love goddess. "If not for your jealousy for her beauty and status, she would not wish you dead and she would not have united with Leonidas. Because of _you_ we are facing the darkest hour in Olympian history while we are at our lowest in power!"

"Hey hey," Aphrodite stood up a little taller. "Don't blame this on _me_. How was I supposed to know that someone I cursed a few millennia ago would come back for revenge?"

"How about you just _don't_ curse anyone! You dimwitted-"

" _Calm down_ , Athena. Act like your Domain and _not_ a child." Hera stole the attention of the group as she made her way through the doors that led to the infirmary and stopped n front of the group. "Apollo has finished his work on Annabeth." That simple sentence sobered the goddess of wisdom. Athena's eyes widened as she tried her best to decipher Hera's mask of a face.

"How is she?" Athena asked. "May I see her?"

At this Hera's mask broke slightly. "She is… alive… but there were _complications_." She dropped her mask and offered a somber expression to Athena and Percy before travelling to Artemis and Hebe where she faltered slightly. "But to preserve her privacy, I would request that only Percy and her mother be present." She said to the two other goddess, with Hebe nodding in agreement and Artemis merely raising a brow. "But for now I can say that we have placed her in a healing sleep so that we can keep her alive until after the Promised Day. Then when our full powers are restored we will heal her completely. But for now, all we can do is wait."

"So she's going to be okay?" Percy asked hopefully, his hands clenched so tightly that his nails were drawing blood in his palms.

Hera's face dropped as she bit her lower lip in the most human expression Percy had ever seen. "I honestly cannot say." Percy's heart sank and his face dropped with his hands. Hera stepped up to the demigod and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry, Perseus, but we have done all we can for her now. Her life is up to the Fates now-"

"Oh to _Tartarus_ with this!" Athena suddenly yelled, pushing past the queen of the gods and up to the doors that contained her daughter. "I shall save her myself!"

"Hold on, child. I know your pain, but you cannot do anything for her." Hera tried to stop the goddess but her hand was swatted away. "Please calm yourself before going in-"

"Do not touch me!" Athena shouted, smacking Hera's hand away and throwing the doors open and storming through them. "I will _not_ lose another child this day!"

"Athena! Come back here at once!" Hera ordered but was promptly ignored as Athena ran into the room. The small assembly of goddesses and Percy following her.

Apollo noticed the approaching group and turned to them with a somber expression that turned into confusion when he saw a furious Athena storming towards him. "Daughter!" The goddess yelled as she quickly made her way to the operating table. Are you-"

"Lower your voice, please." Apollo cut her off authoritatively. "She cannot hear you, Athena. I have placed her in a healing sleep with Hypnos' help in order to help heal her. But we are not sure if she will make it until the Promised Day-"

"Then I shall save her myself!" Athena declared as she pushed past Apollo and stood next to her daughter, her hand beginning to emit a bright golden glow. "How none of you thought of this is beyond me-"

As she made her way into the room, Hera's eyes widened when she saw Athena. "Athena, stop!" She ordered with a shout. "You know as well as I that my husband has banned-"

"I do not care!" Athena shouted back, spit flying from her mouth and the veins in her neck popping from her rage. "This is _my daughter!_ You _cannot_ force me to sit idly by and watch her slowly die!" She faced Annabeth again, her face morphing into repressed frustration. "You are supposed to be the goddess of family! _How_ do you expect me to let my daughter die?"

"We do not know that she will die." Apollo stepped in, speaking calmly as to try to calm Athena down. "The probability actually is-"

"I don't care about the probability!" She roared at the only god in the room. "I will make her immortal and bring her back from the brink of death-"

"No you won't." Percy's low growl of a response caused the goddess to cut off and for the entire room to look to him. Athena's momentary shock quickly wore off and she waved a dismissive hand in his direction.

"You have _no_ say in this, you miserable son of-" The goddess was suddenly cut off when Percy threw his fist into her face. "Ahhh!" The goddess flew back from the table and into the wall several yards away with a deafening 'thud'.

Percy slowly stood up from his punching stance, glaring daggers at the goddess. The floor below him starting to tremble and the air around him starting to shimmer. "I _said_ , no you won't." Percy's voice was low and deathly calm, but his strained face and trembling hands gave away his internal rage. Percy watched as Athena, still surprised by the sucker punch, slowly rose to her feet. "You want to make Annabeth immortal?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Well I won't let you."

"How _dare_ you strike me?!" Athena roared as she came to her senses, now standing tall. "You would prevent me from healing my daughter? You claim to love her, so how do you-"

"I won't let you make her immortal _because_ I love her." Percy cut her off, his voice starting to rise and his forced calmness starting to unravel. "Annabeth _doesn't want_ to be immortal! She and I- we, decided to decline immortality in order to be together, get married, have a family and grow old together." He stepped in between Annabeth's bed and her mother, slowly drawing a pen from his pocket with shaking fingers. "I _promised_ her that I would do _anything_ to make that happen. So I _won't_ let you take that away from her!" He uncapped the pen with shaking fingers and held the newly formed sword at the goddess. His jaw was so tight his teeth were at risk from shattering. "It hurts like fucking _Hades_ , but I _can't_ let you make her immortal!"

Suddenly Athena summoned her sword and shield and held the blade out at Percy. "You would challenge _me?_ The goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy? You think too highly of your abilities, mortal. I am not Ares, you cannot simply-"

"I _love_ your daughter." He cut her off, clicking his watch into his shield. "And because I love her, I'd challenge _all of Olympus if I had to!_ " He declared with a yell, the floor beneath him starting to crack and wind to suddenly pick up around him.

"Percy," Artemis reached out to him with widened eyes. "Calm down, if you-" But the goddess of the hunt was too late because without warning Athena charged at Percy sword first…

...Only to have her blade miss him completely as he dodged out of the way. "I will kill you for this!" Athena roared. "It is because of her foolish love for you that my daughter is dying!"

"Foolish love?" Percy yelled back, swinging his sword at the goddess only for her to deflect it with a little difficulty. "At least _I_ love her!" He yelled back to the goddess. "I love her more than _anyone_ in this world! More than _you_ as well!"

"Why you!" Athena pushed through his attack and leveled her blade to his neck. "I'll kill you-" 'T'CHING!' Suddenly Athena's sword was knocked from her hands and fell to the floor. The goddess looked to her feet where a silver arrow laid then to where the goddess of the hunt was stood with her bow drawn facing her.

"It seems to have slipped you mind, sister," Artemis spoke slowly, her glowing silver arrow aimed right at the other goddess' heart. "But Percy is an honorary member of my hunt. So by aiming your sword at _him_ , you aim it at _me_ as well."

Athena's eyes narrowed at her sister. "You would align with this _mortal_ over _me?_ " She demanded.

"Not just her, but me as well." The god of medicine stepped up beside his sister, drawing his own golden bow and aiming an arrow at the goddess. "I _can't_ let you forcefully make Annabeth immortal without the council's approval." Apollo's usually carefree attitude was completely absent as he pulled his arrow back even further. "And I of course can't let you kill Percy. _Think_ about it rationally, Athena. We are _too weak_ to leave Olympus, and even then we are severely weakened and not fit to fight. If you kill Percy, then who do you think will be able to stop Leonidas?" His eyes quickly scanned over her body. "In that short amount of time Percy almost shattered your jaw, fractured your left hand and broke two of your ribs. You haven't noticed it yet, but one of your broken ribs has punctured your lung. So I would suggest putting down your weapons and laying down before you pass out."

Athena only let out a stubborn low growl, summoning her sword back into her hand. "I am _fine_." She retorted, making a point to raise her sword a little higher. "But if you two decide to ally yourselves with _him_ , then I shall defeat you too in order to save my daughter-"

"You can try." Percy cut her off, raising _Riptide_ up to Athena's eye level. "Apollo's right, you're weak, I can tell by your slow movements." He studied her carefully. Her chest was heaving quickly and her good hand was tightly clenched around the hilt of her sword, but her arm seemed to be unable to hold the weight without a lot of strain. She looked like she was about to collapse any moment and was only standing due to her sheer will and stubbornness. "Stand down. _Don't_ make me fight you." He told the goddess slowly, his voice calmer now as he lowered his sword. " _Don't_ make me do that to Annabeth."

Athena held her sword up with all her might. Her eyes drifting back between Percy and her daughter. Her blade lowered as well as she bit her lip and had an internal debate with herself. Her eyes stopped on her daughter for what seemed like an eternity. Percy let out a held breath and let _Riptide_ transform back into a pen, slowly stepping towards the bed where Annabeth slept. "Alright then," Percy started. "We can-"

"Aaargh!" Athena suddenly roared as she turned on her spot and quickly threw her sword out at Percy. The son of Poseidon was in the process of drawing _Riptide_ as Artemis and Apollo let loose their arrows, but were too slow. Within the fraction of a second Athena's blade was inches from Percy's throat and was about to impale him…

...Only to be stopped when a figure appeared in between the two, knocking Athena's blade from her hand and deflecting the godly twins' arrows harmless to the ground. The queen of the gods stood silently in between Percy and Athena, a bright aura like shimmering peacock feathers was radiating around her. If looks could kill, everyone in the room would be dead.

"That is _enough!_ " She suddenly yelled, looking back from Percy to Athena to Artemis and Apollo. "You would all be foolish enough to fight so close to Annabeth? Are you all mad?" Her eyes jumped from the twins to Athena. "Do you _wish_ for your father to sense you fighting? Do you have _any_ idea the damage you could cause if you killed Perseus? His father would demand retribution, not to mention half of the council that has sided with sparing Perseus." Her voice turned from a yell and more like she was scolding a child. "If you were to kill this young man it would cause a rift among the gods and send Olympus into civil war! Right now Olympus is on the verge of destruction from outside forces, but you seem insistent on destroying it from the inside."

The goddess let out a breath through her nose and relaxed her harsh expression. Slowly she placed her hand on Athena's shoulder. "I understand your pain, Athena, but you _cannot_ forcefully make Annabeth immortal." Her eyes drifted to the still form on the bed. "In out states I am not even sure that we could safely grant her immortality… you would be putting her more at risk by doing so." Her softening eyes moved back to the goddess in front of her. "Right now… all we can do is leave her in the hands of the Fates and pray to _Chaos_ for her to heal your daughter."

Without warning Athena dropped to her knees, her good hand held over her heart as her eyes started to drift backwards. "Catch her before she passes out!" Apollo ordered as he made his way to her. Percy's feet moved without him telling them and found himself catching the goddess before she hit the floor.

oooOooo

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oooOooo

After helping Athena to another medical bed summoned by Apollo, the god of medicine began to tend to the goddess and, after several minutes, had managed to pull the broken rib out of her lung. It was also during this time that Hera decided to spring the biggest news of Percy's life on them.

"I feel that I should tell you that while Apollo and Asclepius tended to Annabeth, Eileithyia and I tended to her baby. We used all of our available powers to assure that the child was safe."

Percy instantly knocked over a small rolling cart holding several medical tools, his legs threatening to let him fall as well. His eyes threatened to break from his face. "I'm sorry… what?"

The queen of the gods instantly froze, pausing from her work on Annabeth to face Percy, her own eyes widening as she noticed his surprised expression. "Oh my…" She muttered under her breath before bringing her hand to cover her mouth for a few seconds. "...You didn't know."

"Annabeth's… pregnant?" Percy asked, his brain unable to put those two words closer together.

From her spot on her own bed, Athena suddenly sat up despite the words of Apollo. She faced Percy with burning eyes. "My daughter is _what?_ "

Hera stiffened slightly as she faced Athena. "Pregnant. Annabeth is pregnant." She gestured to Percy. "Perseus is that father-"

"Why you- You're no better than your father-" Athena made to get up and attack Percy but found that she was held down by Eileithyia who just _Flashed_ into the room.

"Lay back down, sister." The nurse looking goddess scolded lightly, pushing Athena back down on the bed. Once Athena was laying down, the goddess turned to a still stunned Percy. "Ah, you must be the father. I am Eileithyia, goddess of Childbirth, Labor Pains and Midwifery. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Percy just stood there like an idiot as Eileithyia tilted her head to the side, watching him like she could see into his mind. "Ah, you didn't know, did you?" She asked, but said it more like a statement. She gave him a warm smile that reminded Percy of his mother. "But don't take it to heart, my child, the baby is still young, still under a full inch. I would say that she in no further than eight weeks along." Percy still hadn't moved so she stepped closer to Percy, lightly took his hand and led him to sit in a seat next to her.

"Do not believe for one second that she was hiding this for you because she was angry, upset or meant to hurt you. She may have been anxious, without a doubt more than likely scared by the knowledge of being pregnant so young…" She paused to carefully take his hand and squeeze in reassuringly. "But take it from me, my child, and I've looked after _every_ child in the womb since my birth, she just didn't know _how to tell you_."

"Are you sure?" Percy spoke for the first time in a few minutes, looking from Annabeth to Eileithyia as he bit his lip. "What if she-"

"Doesn't love you? Is mad at you? Angry?" Aphrodite suddenly spoke up, slightly shaking her head. Percy forgetting that she had been there for some time. "Percy, if you say those words I _will_ hit you." She stepped forwards and offered a smile, not the usual flirty, mischievous, sensual smile she gave him, but a reassuring one. "The love between you two is the purest I have seen in centuries… _trust me_ , she loves you more than life itself."

"I can promise that she loves you as well." Hebe spoke up from next to Aphrodite. She looked from Annabeth to Percy. "I am the goddess of youth and I watch over not only brides, but the youth of the world as well. So I have been watching you for some time." Her usual smile dropped as she bit her lip. "I- I am sorry that I could not prevent my step son from hurting her… I had been watching him since he was a boy, but the last few years my vision of him has been clouded. I- I saw him attack the camp but was unable to do _anything_." Her chin dropped to hit her chest. "I am sorry."

"Step son? Percy asked in confusion. What do you-" Suddenly his eyes widened with realization. "Oh yeah, you're _married_ to Heracles." He said, finally remembering the only other piece of information he knew about her from history class at camp.

The goddess nodded. "Yes, I am. And while he is not my son, I tried my best to look after him. I saw what he was going through… but I did not know the lengths he would go to in his hatred."

"It's not your fault." Percy told her softly, his head resting in his hand. "No one could have prevented it… Besides, I-" He paused to take a deep breath. "I don't think- no, I _know_ that he didn't mean to hit her. He was aiming for me, Annabeth just jumped in front of the dagger."

"How do you know that?" Artemis asked. "How are you so sure? He killed other campers, correct? Why would he think differently about killing her?"

"...Because I saw the look on his face." He told them slowly, thinking back to earlier that day. "He- he told me the story of how his first love, a mortal named Mary, died in front of him after she jumped in front of a bullet meant for him… And I heard him say her name after Annabeth fell to the ground."

The room was quiet for a full minute as they processed this, the god and goddesses not knowing anything about Leonidas ad using this information to put together more of an idea of him. After another minute Eileithyia slowly got up with a little difficulty and made her way to Annabeth and held her hand over the demigod's lower stomach.

"Luckily for both of them, the blade hit very high and the child is so young that it had not moved higher and is so small." She paused to face Percy, offering him a reassuring smile that a grandma would find soothing. "I am happy to say that the baby is unharmed and unaffected, as of now." She added a second later. "However, while she is in the healing sleep the baby is at risk. Her body is very weak and will be unable to fully support the baby as it develops as it focuses on healing her."

"But that is why my daughter and I are here." Hera quickly told him as she stepped up besides Eileithyia, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "We will tend to the child until Annabeth is out of her healing sleep and is able to tend to the unborn child herself. Hestia and Demeter have also stepped forward to help the baby develop and grow naturally." The goddess stepped up to Percy, lightly raising his chin to look up to her. "Do not worry, Perseus, they are in the best of hands they can be in. We have four goddess tending to the baby as Apollo and Aristaeus tend to Annabeth. You are now a father and, as such, have became a family with Annabeth and your child. Thus entering my Domain and my protection… So I give you my vow, that I will protect your new family with my life." Percy's eyes widened as she continued. "I swear it on the Styx."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, sorry again about the delay, but work has been crazy lately. I hope that this chapter helped reassure you all about Annabeth, she HASN'T lost the baby and it is alright(I won't be revealing it's gender until the end, sorry). I hope Percy's reaction was believable, the way I see it is that he's been through an emotional rollercoaster today and it hasn't fully sunk in yet. I also hope that you all now get why the gods aren't just killing Leonidas themselves a little more now. They are so weak that they cannot leave Olympus. And even if they did, Leonidas could most likely kill several of them without much trouble.**

 **I know that not everyone will be happy about Annabeth being in a healing sleep and basically taken out of the story for a little bit until the Promised Day in about two weeks in story and five chapters. So she won't be out for that long. I'm sorry, but I had to follow through with the stakes I put in place. I just can't have her hurt like that the have her be better in the next chapter, that's anime anime logic right there and not realistic at all. But I also needed Percy at his limit, his angriest, at the point where he would do** _ **anything**_ **to win.**

 **So we got some more info about Leonidas and Eos. More so her history with Aphrodite. Some clarification, Aphrodite was just jealous, Eos is actually one of the nicest beings in Greek mythology. But the history between them and the curse is actually taken directly from mythology. We also learned that Leonidas is, in a way, almost a demi-Titan due to his and Eos' life forces being connected. What do you think? Is that enough to explain how he's so powerful?**

 **Last but certainly not least, Percy swore on the Styx to make sure Zeus pays for everything that he did to the demigods. Remember, he is responsible for a good number of them dying during the Third Titan War when he sent them to Olympus to fight the Titans alone.**

 **Well, that's it for now. It's 2:30am and I gotta be up for work in two hours. Think I'll just stay up and start in ch13 instead of trying to get an hour so less of sleep. I'll just survive on caffeine at work then crash when I get home.**

 **Fun Fact: Leonidas absolutely HATES tea, so whenever Eos makes it for him, he bears through his disgust because he is too nice to break it to her that the drink she has been making him for the past almost five years makes him want to gag.**

 **Question of the day:** 'What do you think is going to happen to Aphrodite, Ares, Zeus and the rest of the gods at the end of the story? Will Leonidas be able to kill any of them? All of them? Let me know.'

 **Bonus Question of the day:** I am currently running a Poll on my Twitter. And I'm being really vague on purpose, but it's for this story for something later on. My followers have narrowed down the options from the top 12 to the top 7. If you want in on more Polls or exclusive sneak peaks and hints to chapters, like the one I posted for this one, then follow me on Twitter. Please vote for your favorite name in your Review:

Dawn

Zephyrine

Skye

Skyla

Aurora

Stella

Astra


	22. Ch 13: Returning To Camp

Chapter 13: Returning To Camp

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! I'm not dead! SO SORRY for the two month delay, believe me, I did** _ **not**_ **mean to be gone for so long. As you know I had to fill in for my boss for a month then I had to finish my costume for Comic-Con and so many other things happened. While I was gone I (mostly)decided the order of my upcoming stories, series and one-shots(you can find them on my newly updated Profile) and did more work for my upcoming PJ SYOC story. Submissions are closed and I'm now picking the roster. But enough about that, you guys are here to read COO, not hear about a future story. So we'll get right into it after a few brief things.**

 **Please follow me on Twitter if you'd like, I post Polls, ask questions, give sneak peaks and talk about nerdy stuff.**

 **I updated my FF Profile so please check it out, especially my upcoming stories so you can vote for them on my Poll.**

 **Lastly, we hit 200k words and 100 Reviews while I was gone! Thank you all SO MUCH for the love this story has gotten since the beginning. It only exists because of your support. But who'll get the honor of being the 101st Review? I can't wait to find out.**

 **Anyway, onto the chapter! I know it's shorter than normal but after the last few we needed to calm down a bit. But don't worry, I plan for the next few to be longer.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Returning To Camp

 _[Recap:_

 _The Prophecy has been revealed and Artemis has tasked Percy and the demigods to protect Olympus._

 _After attempting to arrest Leonidas to gain information about his plans, the Prophecy and the identity of the mysterious Titaness, the War Council was swiftly defeated by the now known son of Heracles. In the battle Leonidas accidentally gravely injured Annabeth, purposely injured several other campers, killed Clovis and Damien before finally killing Peleus the dragon and stealing the coveted and divinely powerful Golden Fleece of legend._

 _After calling his midnight-black winged steed, Percy took Annabeth to Olympus to beg for them to heal her as well as to alert them of Leonidas and the danger he and the Titaness pose to Olympus and the world._

 _Now with Annabeth in a healing sleep assisted by Apollo and Hypnos, Percy was told by Hera that Annabeth had been currently eight weeks pregnant and had not told him yet. After adjusting to this life altering information, and suckerpunching his potential one day mother in law in the face, Percy spoke with Artemis about how to best deal with Leonidas. Since Zeus informed him that the Olympians were too weak to leave Olympus and could not stop the now supposedly fully healed Leonidas and Eos theirselves._

 _So now after working with Artemis and various other gods and goddesses in creating a plan to protect Olympus on the Promised Day this Summer Solstice, only two and a half short weeks away, Percy descended Mount Olympus to head back to camp to tell the others the news with the intent to track the rogue demigod and capture him alive. All the while inwardly cursing himself for leaving the love of his life on Olympus despite not having any choice.]_ **(AN: I'd suggest to reread the past few chapters so you don't forget anything)**

 **(6/4/2011 - Camp Half-Blood)**

 _Several hours later_

Percy touched down on Blackjack outside the Big House just after breakfast if the number of campers walking away from the pavilion was any indication.

Percy entering the camp had always been followed with at least some sort of small gathering of campers welcoming him back or wishing to hear of his latest dangerous quest. But this time, _this_ time the entire camp just observed him silently as he descended from the sky, standing still as statues and not running up to him as they did before. It wasn't until he dismounted the pegasus and turned towards the large group when Piper burst from the masses and quickly engulfed him in a deathgrip of an embrace.

"Percy! Oh thank the gods above! How's Anna-" The daughter of Aphrodite cut herself off as she pulled back, looking up to his eyes after seeing he was alone. "...Where's Annabeth?"

Percy took a slight step back, turned slightly and looked over her head to the large group of demigods. "War Council!" He bellowed for everyone to hear, his voice level and restrained to Piper. "Emergency meeting in the Big House. Now. Mandatory attendance."

With that he pivoted around Piper and started up the steps of the Big House before being stopped from behind when a hand clenched his arm and spun him around suddenly. He opened his eyes to find Piper glaring at him. " _Where_ is Annabeth?" She demanded, her ever-changing colored eyes narrowing at Percy.

Percy only easily pulled away and continued to head up the front steps to the porch, looking out to the crowd of demigods that hadn't dared to move or speak since his arrival. "Did I stutter?" His voice was starting to lose his forced calmness. "Emergency War Council meeting. _Now._ " He managed to take another step before Piper called out.

"Percy Jackson, you answer my question or-" She started but was cut off when Jason lightly put his hand on her shoulder.

"Percy _obviously_ doesn't want to talk about it right now," He whispered to her, his eyes falling on the large gathering of demigods. "Let's talk about it inside." To the group of demigods he yelled, "Are you all deaf? War Council members to the Big House!"

In order to not be yelled at again and to hear what Percy had to say, the various members of the War Council followed the son of Jupiter into the Big House and up to the meeting room. Percy spoke as soon as the last person, Thalia, sat down.

"Let's make this short, we don't have much time." He said in lieu of a hello. "As you know, I took Annabeth to Olympus last night, I want to start off by saying that she's…" he paused slightly to search for the word, something that made the others nervous. "...okay." He finally settled on. "I was able to take her to the throne room with Lady Hebe's help. Lady Hera summoned Apollo and Asclepius to heal her." He paused again to look at the gathering of his friends. "But they weren't able to heal her outright, the gods are growing weaker like we suspected, but it is far worse than we thought."

"How do you mean?" Jason asked. "Can't the gods just heal her and stop Leonidas?"

Percy slowly shook his head. "No, they can't." He answered, watching as the others looked at him in surprise. "The reason why the gods have been silent for over a year is because they are growing weaker by the day until we reach the Promised Day."

"Which is the summer solstice, right?" Katie asked.

"That's only seventeen days away," Malcolm stated. "Which is _both_ good _and_ bad, since we only have to worry about defending Olympus for seventeen days but _also_ meaning that we _only_ have seventeen days to prepare."

Percy nodded to the son of Athena, his heart tightening a little. "That's right, Malcolm. I talked it over with Zeus and the gods, they are weakening by the day as the Promised Day grows nearer. And during the Promised Day, they can actually be killed die, _Fade_ into the _Void_." He paused briefly to look at the eyes of the now fewer head campers. "It happens every few millennia as is natural, so there's _no way_ around it. Artemis claimed that _not even_ the Fate Sisters could stop it if they wanted. _Dozens_ of mostly minor gods are going to Fade in seventeen days. And Leonidas, despite his, _admittedly honorable_ intentions to help the world, will use the Promised Day as an opportunity to destroy the thrones of Olympus, killing _all_ of the Olympians at once."

"That bastard is pure evil." Sherman muttered under his breath just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Is he really?" Katie spoke up from her seat. Sherman immediately narrowed his eyes at her.

" _Of_ _course_ he is!" He challenged the daughter of Demeter. "How _else_ would you call attacking us and killing Clovis and Damien? He almost killed all of us! He's _obviously_ been waiting to kill all of us from the beginning!"

From her seat the daughter of Hecate looked to the now empty seat of Clovis and let out a muffled cry from behind her hand. Katie sent the slightly younger girl a sympathetic look before continuing in a calm voice rather than rising to Sherman's anger. "If he's been really trying to kill all of us the past two months then _why_ didn't he?"

Chiara spoke up next. "Maybe he was just waiting for the right time-"

"Or maybe he just isn't the person we thought he was." Katie cut in kindly, looking to everyone at the large table.

"What do you mean, Katie?" Nico asked in a level voice.

"Well, what do we _actually_ know about him?" Katie asked the group. "At first we thought he was just a kind Monster Hunter wandering the country. Someone who, like us, lost their family, home, someone who didn't know where they fit in this world of gods and was just trying to survive. Then we _thought_ he was sent by Lord Zeus or Ares to kill Percy," At this she looked to the son of Poseidon before looking back to the group. "But he _obviously_ wasn't given that he plans to kill Lord Zeus and the other gods and they didn't even know he _existed_ before yesterday. Maybe he's closer to what we first thought."

"What are you saying, Katie?" Jason asked the question everyone was asking.

"I'm saying that in the _two plus months_ we spent with him, did he _ever_ do anything to threaten us?" She asked the group, before looking to Clarisse. "Who was the one that volunteered to teach combat classes when you and Sherman were busy patrolling the walls?" The children of Ares let their eyes drop slightly as Katie looked to Pollux. "And who helped us find a way to use Nordic nature magic to bring the crops back from wilting so we had food to eat?" She then looked to Will. "And who taught you and the healers how to use Egyptian herbs to medicate our sick and wounded? Even helping bring Sam from Athena back from the brink of death?!" Katie suddenly stood, her voice now just under a yell, something that surprised everyone in the room. "Leonidas has fought besides us for _two months_ , taught the younger campers how to fight and fend for themselves in the wilderness, gave those same children hope and fun that _none of us_ could since the gods disappeared. Helped us rebuild our walls and _sole_ means of protection now numerous times!" Katie paused for a second to retain herself, looking at everyone in the room. When she continued her voice dropped to her usual kind and calm one.

"I won't deny that he lied to us about a few things, namely his father, but think about it, if he _wanted_ to kill all of us, then why didn't he?" She remained standing but relaxed her hands that had once been gesturing animatedly. "Yes, he attacked us, but _not_ outright. He only fought back when _we_ attacked first-"

"Don't try to make it sound like he was defending himself!" Malcolm cut her off, quickly standing up as well. "We _gave_ him the chance to surrender! He _didn't_ have to kill Clovis and Damien!"

"And he _gave us_ the chance to let him walk away. He _didn't want_ to fight." Katie countered calmly, not letting Sherman's anger rile her up. "Look around you, is anyone else dead?"

Sherman threw his chair back and angrily faced the daughter of Demeter sitting right next to him, throwing an accusing finger in her face. "Are two dead campers not enough for you?!" He bellowed in her face. "Perhaps if he killed at least ten of us you'd care!"

Katie's restrained face dropped instantly, her eyes narrowing at the son of Ares next to her. "Don't you _dare_ claim that I don't care for _every_ camper here! Don't forget what _I_ do for the camp! I work to repair the damage done to the campers done by the war, _your_ father's Domain!"

"Why you-" Sherman went to reach for Katie but was stopped but he two closest people, Malcolm and Will, grabbed him from behind and Jason stepped in between the two.

"Calm _down_ , Sherman!" Jason ordered just as Clarisse rose from her seat at the head of the table to stop a fight if it were to break out.

"Get yer hands off me!" Sherman yelled as he struggled to break free from Will and Malcolm's grip. "I'll-"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Percy bellowed from his seat, the ground beneath the building shaking. Instantly everyone in the room went deathly silent. "We're all on the same side, _why_ are you fighting?! Did you all forget what happened yesterday? We _don't_ have time for this." After letting out a long breath he sat, motioning for Will and Malcolm to release Sherman as well. After everyone seemed to settle down Clarisse finally sat down as well. Percy rested an elbow on the table and used it to hold his head, gesturing for Katie to continue. "Katie, you were saying?"

The daughter of Demeter was silent for a few seconds after nodding, addressing the group again, her eyes on Will. "How many wounded do we have from last night when Leonidas attacked us?"

"Twentyseven." He said without hesitation.

"And how many of those injuries are fatal?"

Will was slower to respond this time, thinking of his response first. "...None." He finally said, surprising the group. He looked around at the various injuries in the room. Mostly the group only had bruises, joints popped out of place, maybe a tooth knocked out or a few broken ribs or bruised bones. "With the exception of Chiara's lost eye, that once I was able to get it stable wasn't life threatening, ...none." He gestured to the large gaping hole in the wall. "Even Vicky who got thrown through the wall onto the ground only suffered a broken ankle and a few bruised bones."

"I still don't get what yer tryin' to say, Katie." Mika spoke up, her arm in a sling from Leonidas dislocating it. "I admit tha' I was good friends with 'im, but he _still_ stole the Golden Fleece, leavin' us vulnerable to attack."

"Mika's right." Jason agreed. "Without the Golden Fleece strengthening the magical borders around camp, we're without any means of protection. Now we have to defend ourselves _and_ Olympus. What if the other Titans decide to attack Olympus while the gods are weak? They'll be defenseless. "

"Any _magical_ means, yes, but we still have dozens of campers, not to mention my hunters, to protect us." Thalia told her brother. "We've defended camp and the gods before, we can do it again. Even if we have to take on the Titans by ourselves."

Katie spoke up again to answer Mika's previous question. "Look, I'm not trying to _defend_ what Leonidas did, gods know I _don't_ condemn violence, but when he ran through camp and stole the Golden Fleece how many of the young, weak and unsuspecting campers did he kill?"

The entire council was quiet as they looked around the room to each other. Finally, Amethyst spoke up. "None, he didn't harm _any_ of them. I even heard from Esteban that he _avoided_ fighting them when they tried to stop him."

"But _why_ would he do that?" Leo asked. "With his strength and skill he could have _easily_ killed all of them."

"Because he _isn't_ a killer." Piper spoke up.

"What are you talking about, Pips?" Jason asked, more confused than angry. "He _killed_ Clovis and Damien, _of course_ he's a killer."

"Having killed and being a killer are two different things." She defended, her eyes dropping slightly. " _Everyone_ in this room has killed someone or something before, be it a Monster, Titan or enemy demigod during the war. Yes, the Monsters and Titans are, well, what they are but they're _still_ sentient, living, feeling beings. What's the difference between killing a Monster and a mortal?" She looked briefly to Clarisse that told her of the numerous demigods that died that had sided with the Titans. " _None_ of us _enjoy_ killing… and I don't think Leonidas does either."

"Did you _see_ his face before we fought?" Piper asked them, continuing. "When he looked to the ceiling and spoke to it? He _must've_ been talking to Eos, the Titaness that he's working with. He called her _his love_."

"And you think him being in love with some Titaness justifies him attacking us?" Chiara asked.

"No, of course not." Piper answered. "But I think that he may _actually_ love her and _that's_ why he attacked us. Did you hear what he said? About her calling him and that he needed to go to her? And do you remember what Percy told us about how the gods, _and_ Titans are dying with the Promised Day coming up? What if Eos is dying? And the only way Leonidas thought he'd be able to save her was the Golden Fleece? What if he did it out of love?"

"You can't just justify everything by saying it was for love, Piper." Nico told her. "Being the daughter of Aphrodite or not, you have to admit that murder is still murder."

"I'm _not_ justifying him," She told the group, stressing the words. "But as a daughter of Aphrodite I can read someone's face like you can a book, my mom might not be the goddess of emotions but out of any god _she_ is connected to them the most. And because of that _I_ could read his face right before he attacked us."

"...What did you see?" Jason asked his girlfriend after a few seconds of silence.

"Worry," She told them, her voice growing softer. "Pain, not just physical, but emotional. But most of all? Fear. Fear of what was going to happen."

"Fear of what happening?" Travis asked.

"I don't know," Piper admitted. "But if I had to guess? The Titaness that was calling him, Eos."

"But-"

"Piper's right." Percy spoke up suddenly, gaining the attention of the room. He ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a long, slow breath. "Leonidas told me about Eos, well, he told me about _Emily_ , her fake mortal name. But he told me about her."

"What did he tell you?" Rachel asked.

"She, Eos, _is_ dying, and she'll most likely die this Promised Day. Leonidas is doing everything he can to save her… but he's… dying as well."

"What?" Piper asked.

"What do you mean?" Rachel was next to ask.

"Can we use that to our-" Clarisse was in the middle of asking when Percy stood up and cut her off.

"We can talk about it all day, but it doesn't change what we need to do." He looked to everyone in the room with a serious expression, his face and emotions guarded. "We can debate later on his motives, but right now we need to act. The Promised Day is seventeen days away. Meaning that in seventeen days Leonidas, and _possibly_ other Titans that sided with Kronos, could attack Olympus to try to kill the gods. That means we have seventeen days to come up with a battle plan to defend Olympus." He looked to the son of Athena. "Malcolm, I want your cabin to start coming up with strategies, get them to the council as soon as possible. Leo," he turned quickly to face the son of Hephaestus. "Get your cabin working overtime on the Argo II and weapons, we'll need everything at our disposal to defend Olympus against Leonidas _and_ the other Titans if they attack."

"Do you think that he'll work with them to destroy the gods?" Travis asked.

"No," Percy shook his head. "Leonidas doesn't believe in letting _anyone_ ruling over the world, let alone the Titans that would no doubt destroy all of humanity. He won't side with them."

"Do you think that he'll side with _us_ when fighting the Titans?" Jason asked. "An enemy of my enemy type of thing?"

"Doubt it," Clarisse shrugged. "He seems too hellbent on 'savin' the world' to help us if you ask me."

"But we _might_ be able to work with him." Katie said. "We might be able to reason with him-"

"I am _NOT_ reasoning with that murderer." Sherman yelled, slamming his fist onto the table. "We defend Olympus, plain and simple. And if we have to kill him, _or anyone for that matter_ , we'll do it."

"Watch yourself, Sherman," Jason warned him. " You're sounding like your dad."

"I am not-"

"We don't have time for this." Percy cut in again, giving Sherman a warning glare. "We have to fix up camp and start preparing for another fight, and if my gut and Rachel's prophecy are correct, then it'll be the hardest one we've _ever_ fought." With that he looked at everyone in the eye. "Olympus is on the verge of falling into civil war and they cannot help us, so it's up to us once again to save them _and_ the world. So I expect everyone to think about the odds at steak before they start any foolish fights." He sent another look to Sherman before looking to his sister. "Clarisse, as of now you're acting commander while I'm gone. Defend it until I come back"

Clarisse watched him for a second before rising from her chair and nodding, offering her hand for him to shake. "I will, Prissy. I promise."

"Thanks, Clarisse. I'm counting on you." He nodded to Clarisse before turning to Thalia down the table. "You ready to go, Thals?"

"Wait," Jason cut in. " _Where_ are you going? Back to Olympus?"

Percy shook his head, pushing his chair back under the table and taking a step back towards the door. "No, I'm taking Thalia and a few of her best hunters to go find Leonidas."

Several breaths hitched in the room. " _What?_ " Piper demand. "And do _what_ , kill him?"

"No," Percy shook his head slightly, his eyes lost in thought, not fully there. "We're going to track him down, the hunters of Artemis stand the best and only chance we have at finding him. We'll be taking the eldest hunters and will leave the rest to help defend camp and Olympus before the Promised Day."

"And what will you do once you find him?" Travis. "Show him the errors of his ways and magically turn him back into our friend?"

"No, but we _might_ be able to talk to him." Percy countered. "Look, I'm not saying that I can, or even _want_ _to_ bring him to our side right now,... but Katie's right about one thing, we don't fully understand what he wants. And the _only_ way to stop him is to know _how_ to stop him." He looked to Rachel. "I… have this _feeling_ that I'm supposed to do _something_ , I just don't know _what_ it is, But something feels… _off_. All I know is that I feel like I'm _supposed_ to find him." He gave a shrug. "If I'm supposed to find him in order to _work with him_ to save Olympus or _kill him_ to save Olympus, I'm not sure. Any thoughts Rach?"

The Oracle shook her head after a few seconds. "...Sorry, but no. All I can see is the painting I saw in my dreams. You two were fighting on Olympus, the earth was shaking, the ocean rising and the sky breaking… I'm sorry, but I don't have _any_ answers."

"Perce," Jason looked to his best friend. " Do you _truly_ think that you can work with him? Can we forgive him after everything he's done?"

The entire gathering of demigods watched Percy as he debated the question in his mind for a full minute, thankful that they weren't in his position. "...Honestly? I'm not sure I can forgive him for what he did to Clovis, Damien and…" His breath caught slightly, biting his lip. "And Annabeth. But I might be able to work with him to _at least_ find a way to stop him from killing the gods." He gave another shrug. "But I honestly don't know what to, or even what I _should_ do. I'll I know is that I _need_ to find him. So I will."

At this Thalia rose from her seat and made her way down the table to stand beside Percy. "I don't know with we should do about Leonidas either, but what I _do know_ is that as long as he plans to kill the gods that he poses a threat to Olympus. So we'll track him down, either to talk, or if we must, kill him."

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 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review)**

oooOooo

As Percy and Thalia made their way out of the Big House Piper, Jason and Rachel called out to them. "Percy, wait!" Despite his need to track down Leonidas, Percy stopped and turned to the daughter of Aphrodite.

"Yeah, Piper?" He asked, his voice tired and unfocused.

"What happened to Annabeth? How is she?" Piper asked suddenly. She, and the others, weren't able to miss how his body tensed and his eyes dropped.

"...What I told you earlier, she's okay. Apollo and Hypnos were able to put her in a healing sleep to save her."

Piper's eyes narrowed slightly. "But what _aren't_ you telling us, Percy?" She asked in a softer voice. "I can practically sense the emotions coming off of you, I can read your face, remember?" She paused to reach for his hand. "We all love Annabeth, you know that, so tell us, what happened? What aren't you telling us?"

Percy's free fist clenched and the others could literally feel the waves of energy rolling off of him, but they didn't step back and Piper didn't let go of his hand. Finally the air around him stopped shimmering and the earth below him claimed. He let out a breath and bit his lip. "She… was- _is_ , pregnant."

Jason let out a surprised sound while Piper let go of his hand to bring it to her face. Rachel was silent but she covered her mouth with her hand. Only Thalia didn't seem surprised.

"...She-she's pregnant?" Piper asked with the softest voice Percy ever heard. "B-but she got hit in the stomach, how's the baby-"

"Luckily for us Leonidas hit her high in her stomach, far too high to hit the… baby at it's size." Percy cut her off, his jaw clenched. "Lady Hera said that it's a miracle that the… baby was so young. If she would've been further along…"

"Oh Percy," Rachel stepped up to her friend and enveloped him in a tight embrace. Piper soon followed suit. "We're so sorry, we didn't know. That must have been so terrifying when you saw her get hit."

Piper noticed the look on his face and pulled back slightly. "You… you didn't know, did you?"

Percy's eyes snapped to her. "No, did you?"

"No no, of course not," She slightly shook her head. "I wouldn't keep that from you."

"I knew." Thalia spoke up suddenly. Percy's gaze moved to her.

"What?" He all but demanded.

"Hey, I'm Annabeth's oldest friend, she and I tell each other _everything_ , so when she went to the doctor and found out the news… she told me." Her eyes dropped slightly. "I'm sorry."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"She made me promise not to," Thalia told him, biting her bottom lip. "Besides, it wasn't my place to tell you. But she wasn't trying to keep it from you, Percy, you have to believe me, she was going to tell you after we captured Leonidas. But… you know what happened."

Percy looked to his friend and his angry glare dropped, he couldn't stay mad at her for keeping it from him. After a second he moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm _so_ sorry, Thals." He whispered. "I didn't mean to get mad at you, I'm just… angry, tired, confused… I didn't mean to take it out on you."

After wiping her eyes, Thalia hugged him back and let go. "It's okay, Percy. I understand. _No one_ should have to go through what you did. I forgive you."

"Thanks," He smiled at her before looking to the others. "Sorry everyone but we can't stay. I know the camp needs me, but I won't always be here to lead it, if all went differently then Annabeth and I would've already left camp to live a normal life. They need to be able to function without me."

Jason nodded, stepping up to his best friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I understand, Perce. I'll admit that camp- _all of us_ , have relied on you and Annabeth too much lately, it's time for the rest of us to step up. Don't worry, we'll protect camp while you're gone."

"Thanks man," Percy returned the nod. "Thalia, the other hunters and I will be back before the Promised Day, we don't plan to be gone for more than a few days. If we can't find Leonidas by then, then we'll come back to camp to help you prepare to defend Olympus." He looked to the small group. "Is there anything else before we go?"

"Oh yeah, there's one thing." Jason said nervously as he reached into his pocket and pulled out four golden coins, showing them to Percy. "We found _these_ under Thalia's tree where Leonidas flew away from."

"Percy's eyes widened. "Are those-"

"Golden Drachma, yeah." Jason nodded slowly. "Nico told us that they were put on the eyes of the deceased in Greece, to pay Charon to allow them entry into _Hades_." His eyes moved to his sister. "And then Thalia told us that she found Golden Drachma on the bodies of her dead hunters." He paused to look back to Percy, visibly gulping. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"It means that _Leonidas_ was the one that killed a dozen of my sisters." Thalia bit out, her voice dripping with venom. "I tried to contact Lady Artemis to tell her but I couldn't reach her. But I pray to the Fates that we'll find him so I can repay him for killing my sisters."

"But _why_ would Leonidas kill your hunters?" Piper repeated her question from before when they figured this out. "He _doesn't_ seem like the kind of person to kill without cause. He _must_ have had a reason for it."

"Well _whatever_ the reason," Thalia muttered. "I'll be sure to ask him when we find him." Turning to face Percy she asked, "You ready to go, Kelp Head?"

Percy looked to his friends for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, call them and we'll get on our-"

"No," she cut him off suddenly, looking at him expectantly. "This is _your_ mission, Percy. And Lady Artemis made you an honorary member of our hunt. The hunters and I will follow you to the ends of the earth if we have to, we'll do _anything_ for family," She gave him a soft smile. "So _you_ call them, Percy. Lady Artemis _did_ give you her silver hunting whistle that can summon us for a reason. Use it and call them, right now, _you're_ in charge."

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 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review)**

oooOooo

After gathering a few supplies for the trip and saying his goodbyes to his fellow campers, Percy blew into the silver hunting whistle Artemis gave him so long ago and within a few minutes the hunters of Artemis gathered around him, looking at him expectantly like they were waiting for his orders. So Percy told them as they made their way to where Mika, Clarisse and several Ares campers were busy flipping over a rather large and heavy vehicle. Once Percy and Thalia finished explaining to the mission, the hunters Media, Alexandra and Cleo followed them to the giant royal blue Ford Raptor that had miraculously survived being lifted and thrown overhead by Leonidas. Percy looked to the Hephaestus kids looking it over.

"Is my truck okay? Can it drive?"

Philip gave Percy an astonished look. "I honestly have _no_ _idea_ how my dad did it, but your truck doesn't even have a scratch on it. So yeah, I'd say it's fine to use."

"Perfect," Percy smiled at his truck. Thank the gods Hephaestus made it so durable, it would make their journey to track down Leonidas _far faster_ than if they went on foot. Hr looked to the assembled hunters. "Come on, let's go find Leonidas."

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone, I know it's shorter than normal but this chapter just** _ **couldn't**_ **be huge after the last few, this is a calming chapter, so to speak. I apologize** _ **again**_ **for the long delay getting it out, but after the last chapter I just didn't know what to do despite having everything planned out. It was just hard to figure out where to go from here after last time.**

 **Now, I want to stress something before all of you leave Reviews, about what I(Katie said in the chapter), I am** _ **not**_ **justifying what Leonidas did at all in this chapter. He attacked the campers, albeit after they attacked** _ **him**_ **first, killed Clovis and Damien and stole the Golden Fleece. I'm** _ **just**_ **trying to make it clear** _ **WHY**_ **he did all those things. I just don't want you guys to think of Leonidas as pure evil, because he's not. We'll get the rest of his plans and beliefs a little later on, but I just want you all to remember all we've learned about him in this story. About his mother, Mary and the Johnsons dying, his encounter with the Empousa in Las Vegas, his experience seeing literally entire towns killed by gangs or Monsters and not to mention Eos and the fact that they are** _ **both**_ **dying and the Golden Fleece and Immortality are** _ **literally**_ **the only ways to save them. So while it might sound like I'm defending him(which I might, since I created him), I just want all of you to remember everything we've learned about him over the past 200k+ words of this story.**

 **But don't worry, we haven't finished learning about Leonidas, we'll see more of him next chapter and, in fact we'll see him in all the upcoming chapters bar one. So I hope that all of you are still up for learning about him as we go. I know he hurt Annabeth and** _ **many**_ **of you hated that(hated** _ **ME**_ **for that) but I stand by my stance that he isn't evil, misguided yes, but not evil. Anyway, you can choose to believe that or not, and if you want(or already have) stopped reading this story after what I did to Annabeth, then all I can say is that you have the right to stop this or any story whenever you want. But I won't go back on what I did and redo that chapter to make her not get hurt just because someone asked, I'm sorry but in order to make it believable a story needs good tension and risks, and something like that separated my story from others in which nothing goes wrong. If you hate me, hate me. If you want to stop reading this, then stop. I can't and won't force you to read this, but I'm sorry that something I wrote had such an accept on you. I honestly didn't think people would get so upset that they'd tell me to die. I know it was big, but she's fine, the baby's fine. It's** _ **not**_ **like I killed either of them, so those of you who reviewed and PM'd me saying that you hate me for what I wrote in a** _ **fictional story**_ **, just imagine what would've happened if I went with my original idea that had Annabeth lose the baby.**

 **But to those of you who** _ **didn't**_ **scream at me, I apologize for that rant. Needed to get it off my chest. But sometimes it's hard to feel motivated to write when people tell me to die.**

 **Anyway, on a happier note, I've gotten some more work done on my future PJ SYOC story, submissions are now closed and I'm picking the roster. I'll start that story up sometime after I finish up with Coo. For those of you who are wondering, we have ten,** _**yes ten**_ **, chapters left. We feel so far from the end yet so close at the same time. I can't wait but at the same time I don't want this story to end. We're now 200k+ words in, we might be able to hit 300k words, which would be HUGE for me since COO just beat my old record by hitting 200k words. But I'll make sure to not just stretch it out to meet that goal, don't worry.**

 **Don't forget to leave a review! Who wants the honor of being the 101st Review? Let's see who makes it.**

 **Fun Fact:** Annabeth being pregnant is a recent idea of mine. As I was planning this story I didn't plan for her to get pregnant. It wasn't only until the chapter or so before I gave the first hint that I had the idea. Then, as I mentioned above, I actually planned for her to lose the child after getting hurt by Leonidas. But then I came up with another idea. And boy am I glad I didn't do that, I got so much backlash(not from you kind people, but some PM's) for simply hurting her I'm glad I didn't have her baby or her AND the baby die.

 **Question of the day:** 'What do you think Leonidas is going to do based off what was said this chapter? Will he be a foe to the campers or an ally?' I _did_ ask that same question in the summary for this story. I wonder what's gonna happen, I can't wait to find out.

 **Bonus Question of the day:** 'Are there any amazingly kind artists out there willing to help me with a few things that don't mind not being able to be paid? I'll pay you back with dedicated chapters or one-shots or something. Let me know'.

 **Bonus Bonus Question of the day:** 'I need love songs for ch14, preferably sad, but not about breaking up or them being taken, but more like perseverance through things together. Have any suggestions for me?'

 **Next Time:** "No, my injuries- _I_ , _don't matter_ right now! Only _she_ does! Use it to save _her!_ " **Have fun figuring that one out. See ya next time.**


	23. Ch 14: Home Is Where The Heart Is

Chapter 14: Home Is Where The Heart Is

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Hey everyone! Here's another chapter of COO! So sorry again about the delay, but I had a good excuse this time, I swear, I was working on later stuff for this story and a super secret new project that I just can't wait to officially announce. But for now you'll have to wait for a little bit, I'm only a few days into planning and ideas, so it's not ready to be revealed yet.**

 **I'm trying my best to wrap this story up but there's just so much I want to do at one time and that's getting in the way. Man, it feels like we're almost done with COO but I checked and we still have 9,** _ **yes 9**_ **, chapters after this, well, 8 chapters and one short epilogue to wrap everything up. You guys ready for this to all be over? I'm honestly not, I love this story so much. It's been my favorite by far to write. Big thanks to all of you, who are the reason this story exists and is as great as it is! You are the best!**

 **I know you guys are probably expecting Percy to be tracking down or even finding Leonidas this chapter, but SURPRISE, we get another Leonidas focused chapter. We'll see him and Eos together throughout. I heard that many of you weren't emotionally invested in her since we got so close to Mary and quickly fell in love with her, and that Emily/Eos just sort of appeared, but remember that a little over a year passed since Mary died and he met Eos/Emily and four years have passed now since Mary died. So I decided to use this chapter to build up their love, hopefully you like it. I didn't use any flashbacks or anything, only showing their current relationship. Which I personally think is a nice change of pace, since we already saw how their 'relationship' started and now we get to see it at its peak. It's gone from them refusing to love each other to them being willing to go to the lengths they are to protect one another. Their love story is one of the greatest I've ever written once fully read, at least in** _ **my opinion**_ **. I** _ **may**_ **be biased since it's fresh in my mind, though, I** _ **rather like**_ **my fluffy HTTYD and BatFamily one-shots. Give them a shot if you're interested. Hint hint wink wink.**

 **Btw, my 3 year anniversary on FF is coming up this October, any ideas for what I should do to celebrate it? Maybe a one-shot or short story? This story will(hopefully) be long over by then. Let me know.**

 **Anyway, let's keep this brief, shall we? Leave a Review, Follow/Favorite. Vote for the Poll on my FF profile and go over to my Twitter and follow me on there. I just had a Poll wrap up that you guys will actually be able to vote on at the end of this chapter in the AN, so make sure to do that.**

 **Have a good one, I'll see ya guys at the bottom!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Home Is Where The Heart Is

 _[Recap: After returning from Olympus with critical news from the gods, in which Percy learned that the Promised Day will claim the lives of nearly a dozen gods and that Zeus fears that the Titans will unite against Olympus, Percy set out after Leonidas. With the assistance of Thalia and the hunters Medeia, Alexandria and Cleo, Percy hopes to track down the son of Heracles to quench the desire to find the man that he feels in his soul. But once he finds the son of Heracles will he be able to convince him to join their side to protect Olympus or will Percy be forced to kill Leonidas in order to protect Olympus? Will Percy, Thalia and the hunters be able to track Leonidas down? Will he be willing to talk or will he attack them outright?_

 _But those questions will have to wait until next time, as we now follow a figure flying North-East.]_

 **(Unknown Date - Unknown Location)**

Tumbling wind, blowing air and the trembling sky.

*rumble* *rumble*

All the figure could hear, see, feel and sense around it was rushing air as it fell, down, ever down towards the ground where the earth met the sea.

*rumble* *rumble* *rumble*

The figure shivered as creeping ice crawled up its skin and formed on its arms and legs, its lungs protesting the strain screamed at it to stop, to cease, to _rest_ , but the figure dared not to let another second pass away. It could _not_ fail her this time. She would _not_ make it if it did. Its muscles shook from the pain and its bones cracked from its affliction but it increased its speed regardless with a muffled cry through gritted teeth.

*rumble*

But it ignored the screaming in its body as it flew ever down. Forever towards the familiar sight of a small wood and grass roof it saw every night even through its darkest and most horrid dreams. It fought through its injuries, powered past its shaking vision and muddled mind, it promised to do _anything_ to save her, so it would endure _any_ pain to ensure it kept its promise.

*rumble* … *Rumble!* … *RUMBLE!*

The very heavens around it thundered as it fell, battering the figure with freezing, stinging rain as it descended from the darkened skies through the clouds. The deafening, rumbling drum of the sky was all that the figure could hear and comprehend as the reverberating echoes shook its very bones.

crrBOOOOOMMM!

The earth itself quaked, the onyx-hued heavens trembled and the sea leaped into the sky as the large figure made contact with the ground like the earth was struck by a small meteor. All the animals of the forest fled from the sound and the ancient trees rocked from the impact.

Slowly, a trembling hand reached the brim of the crater, struggling against and fighting through the now all too familiar pain it had been forced to endure every day of its life as it hauled its broken and shattered body from the earthen bowl. The gargantuan, shaking figure spat foul, crimson liquid from its mouth but nevertheless forced itself to continue as it half-dragged itself along the ground towards the enchantingly beautiful white stone and wood cabin.

Ever the while its other hand clamping tightly onto a shimmering golden fabric that radiated energy, determined to _not_ let it fall through his misshapen and limp fingers. Energy that could _no doubt_ heal him and end his eternal suffering and bone-snapping pain, but he _refused_ to use it on himself… for _her_ life mattered more than _his_.

oooOooo

 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review)**

oooOooo

 **(6/3/2011 - West Quoddy Head, Maine)**

~Yesterday, _An hour and a half after fleeing camp~_

Leonidas stumbled through the white stone and wooden cabin on the brink of death, roughly collapsing on the coarse, wooden floor and causing the ground beneath him to moan from his immense weight.

An elegant though severely weakened figure quickly leapt from the large couch and rushed to his side. She was adorned in hand-knitted pink lounge pants and matching crop top long sleeve shirt with fluffy pink socks. Her long strawberry-pink hair whipped back and forth as she rushed to him.

"Leonidas! My love! Are you alright? What happened to you?" She asked frantically as she rolled him off of his face and onto his broad back. "Are you-"

"I… got it," He announced weakly, forcing a small smile to touch his lips. An effort that _no doubt_ required a good bit of his extremely limited energy. He silently held the shimmering golden item out to her, the color slowly returning to his eyes. "...I got the Golden Fleece… my love." He told her before dumping more crimson liquid on the soft throw rug. After letting her wipe his lips with her hand he looked up to her with a face full of hope. "Tell me… *cough* tell me I wasn't *cough* too late?" He begged softly.

The Titaness slowly shook her head, her long hair swaying from the motion as she pulled his face into her chest and placed a big kiss on his hair. "N-no, my love, you-you made it just in time…" She moved his head up so that their eyes met, her own orbs wet with no signs of stopping. "Thank _Chaos_ above… now she and I will no longer be at risk. I… I had feared that we would not make it through the night…" She moved her hand to stroke his cheek softly, bringing her lips in to ghost over his. "I do not think that we could have lived past today, you _saved_ both of us." She paused slightly to press her lips on his, letting them linger for a few seconds and reveling in the remembrance of his lips on hers after being apart for so long. Finally she broke apart and opened her eyes, whispering softly. "But I never once lost faith in you, my love. _Never_."

He let his face soften at the news, a small smile gracing his lips as he pulled her close, feeling his strength return to him as the scent of her hair filled his nostrils. "T-that's good. I… I feared that I wouldn't make it in time." He told her honestly. "When you spoke to me and told me how you two were dying… I…I couldn't…" He let it hang, biting his lip, he didn't know how to finish that sentence.

"Shh shh love, it's _all fine_ now." She reassured him, increasing her embrace on him. "You _saved_ her and I, as I _knew_ you would. With the Golden Fleece we can _finally_ restore our bodies and delay our deaths long enough to take Immortality for ourselves. As long as our life forces are intertwined, if _you_ are immortal, then so am _I._ " Her magenta eyes shimmered like a twinkling star as she smiled a sweet smile. "Then the three of us will _finally_ be able to ascend into the sky past the edges of Oceanus and live in my realm among the stars for the rest of eternity. _Just_ like we always talked about. _None_ of this would've been possible without you, Leonidas."

"Yes, but we are _far_ from done, my love." He told her softly, using his sore and stiff muscles to lift himself into a sitting position. "I must still wait seventeen and a half days to travel to New York, infiltrate Olympus that will no doubt be guarded by Perseus and the campers, make my way up to Olympus and destroy the Thrones, thus killing the gods and steal the few Golden Apples of Immortality there. These will _truly_ be the most difficult two and a half weeks of our lives."

"But difficulty you and I can fight through, my love." She reassured him. "You are the _single greatest_ mortal to _ever_ live… if _any_ man can change Olympus and the world for the better… then it is _you_." She smiled to him before gesturing towards the Golden Fleece in his hand. "Now, let's get you all healed up so you quit bleeding all over my _once lovely carpet_." She joked.

"No," he told her in a tired yet definitive voice. "I can wait, I've lived with the pain since I was a child, I can endure it for a few more hours." He let his brief smile fade before looking deep into her eyes. "Take it to her, heal her then yourself." He ordered kindly. " _Then_ once you two are healed, you can think about healing me."

Her eyes widened slightly, taken back. "B-but my love," she rushed out, looking over his broken, bruised and bloody body with worry. "Your injuries-"

"No, my injuries- _I_ , _don't matter_ right now! Only _she_ does! Use it to save _her!_ " He ordered softly, his eyes boring right into hers. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. " _I_ can endure the pain and survive through the night, while _you two can't_. _Please_ ," he begged softly, his words just slightly above a whisper. "Heal yourselves first, _then_ worry about me."

She watched him for a brief minute with a worried expression before finally letting out a slight breath. "Alright," she relented, gently taking the Golden Fleece from his broken hand. "I'll heal her first, but then you, understand?"

He nodded as much as he could without hurting his head too much. "Alright, just get started, she doesn't have much time. I'll clean myself off." With a nod and a brief kiss Eos left him sitting on the carpet heading through a soft pink, wooden door at the back of the room and disappearing through it. After a few seconds Leonidas forced himself to get up through the pain and made his way to their bathroom. All the way having to use the tables and furniture to help keep his balance as he dragged his numb leg behind him.

Upon entering the small bathroom he grabbed the worn medical bag from the counter and put it at the edge of the sink as he leaned on the smooth, natural stone fixture. Slowly, with a trembling hand and cold, numb fingers, Leonidas tugged at the hem of his shirt after slowly shrugging the Nemean Lion Skin off his shoulders. His sole functioning arm struggled to pull his slack arm through the sleeve, all the time wincing as his rotator cuff grinded and caught on the bone as he moved his arm, creating a sickening clicking sound that reverberated loudly in the small room.

Unable to lift the black, blood-stained fabric anymore, he settled on slowly clawing the shirt off, gripping large handfuls of it and tearing it from his sweat and blood soaked skin. After throwing the shredded shirt to his feet, he looked at himself in the large, stone perimetered mirror. He winced and let out a low curse in ancient Greek when he finally saw the sorry state he was in, sure, he _felt_ the terrible state he was in, but seeing it was _something else entirely_.

Due to the connection between him and his love, Eos, they were both slowly dying and would have been on the brink of death if he hadn't retrieved the Golden Fleece to heal them. It was as he feared, his unrivaled healing factor was slowly reversing all the damage it had healed over the years as he crept ever closer to death. In short, _all_ of his old, faded and new wounds were visible on his skin at once, all hurting as if they were fresh as well. A large, hacking, ripping streak, like serrated steak knives, slashed down his chest, a token from the Nemean Lion. Old buckshot holes peppered his chest, neck and face like freckles from his encounter with the Baker brothers that killed the Johnsons. Black and purple, swollen, puss-filled bruises littered his skin like a paint-blotched canvas. Thick, gunky crimson liquid leaked freely from his body from various wounds. His left pectoral was blackened and charred from a severe burn he had sustained many years ago, his dead, black skin flaking off and falling like snow as he moved to grab the large vial of Nectar from the bag.

His large, numb and blood-slick fingers fumbled with the glass bottle, the vial sliding away from him as he tried in vain to grip it. He finally managed to grab the bottle after a few seconds when he pinned it against the bag and wiped his dripping, red-stained hand on his tattered pants. Raising the bottle of his open wounds, Leonidas grit his teeth in pain and the Nectar stung like fire ants had burrowed into his skin and were attempting to eat him from within.

He then moved to the open slits in his right pectoral, grunting in pain as he tried to use his large, oversized fingers to work Thalia's arrowheads from his chest. After not being able to pull the metal from his body with his large fingers, he took a pair of tweezers from the bag and went to work trying to- as _gently_ as possible- pull them out of his chest. The first arrowhead came out _relatively_ easy, dropping into the wooden-bowl-like sink with a hollow 'thud'. The remaining two arrowheads weren't as willing to leave him, however, but he needed to remove them so his regenerative abilities could repair the damage.

After bracing himself on the counter and positioning his chest over the raised, bowl-like sink, he flexed his right pectoral until he could feel them emerging from his skin aided by his self healing abilities.

'Thud' Thud'

The last two arrowheads finally fell from his chest after a minute or two of forcing them out. It felt as if he got shot once again, but he could already feel the subtle, minuscule healing as his fresh wounds started to slowly close. His regenerative abilities were still active, albeit _extremely_ slowed down and not even a _fraction_ of what they once were, but they were still there. After pouring more Nectar onto the wound, he wiped most of the blood off with a towel and applied a fresh bandage to it. Or at least he _tried_ to, only being able to use one numb, throbbing and grinding arm to tear the bandages and patch himself up wasn't as easy as it looked. After messing up the third or fourth bandage he was about to give up entirely on it and drag himself to their bed to fall asleep when Eos wordlessly entered the room and began to work on him.

He could see the wheels turning in her head as she used a wet cloth to lightly wipe the blood from his flesh, she wanted him to quit fighting to ensure that he survived but _knew_ that he couldn't. They would _die_ if he did. So he would have to endure it and she the sight of him until he stole Immortality for them. It was the _only_ way, she knew that.

He was painfully shaken from his thoughts as she ripped a small, red-stained tree branch from his side, a side effect of being blasted through a tree from Percy's trident. She looked up to his eyes with a look of guilt after hearing him wince. "I'm sorry, my love." She apologized softly, being extra careful now as she wrapped fresh gauze around his stomach. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," he cut her off kindly, hoping to reassure her. "It didn't really hurt," he lied. "I was just lost in thought, it surprised me." She let out a soft 'hmm' in response and he knew she caught his lie. "Did you give her the Fleece?" He asked, changing the subject.

She nodded slightly as she worked, now pulling a needle and thread from the bag and starting to stitch his shredded skin back together. "Of course, love." She assured him, pausing slightly to close a rather nasty gash on his back. "It _pains_ me to see you like this, you know. I certainly won't miss this when we're Immortal." She mumbled under her breath just loud enough for him to hear before finishing what she was saying earlier. "She's asleep now, it took some time to calm her after her last fit, the shakes are- or _were_ , becoming more frequent. But now thankfully she won't have to worry about that with the Golden Fleece. She hasn't had much rest these past few weeks. I draped it over her, the Fleece should finish healing her by morning, so you and I can use it to heal ourselves then."

He let out a breath, lightly shaking his head. "I'm sorry for not being here for you two," he mumbled softly, avoiding his eyes from her like he was ashamed. "I _should've_ been here to help-"

"You stop that nonsense right now, Leonidas." She ordered strictly, stopping her work to glare at him, his eyes moving to hers without permission. "We talked about this, in order for you to be able to gain knowledge from the demigods and destroy the gods' thrones you'd have to be gone for awhile. I _know_ that you hate it, but compared to the _literal eternity_ we will spend together after this is all over, the past two months is _nothing more_ than a blink of an eye."

He let out a sigh. "I know, Eos, but you have always had a different perception of time as a Titaness, to me it feels like a lifetime has passed-" he paused abruptly to grit his teeth when the needle hit a particularly sensitive purple bruise on his back. "I just feel like I'm missing out, you know? These are important times for her and I don't want to miss out on them."

She paused her work to hold his cheek, smiling to him reassuringly. "I understand, love, I do, but in order for her- for _us_ , to live, we _have_ to do this. I _know_ you'd rather be here, _Chaos_ knows I'd too, but in order for-"

"But in order for us to be able to gain Immortality and live freely we have to make sacrifices," he cut her off softly, finishing her thought. "I know, but I don't have to like it."

After Eos finished patching him up the best she could, they retreated to the large, comfortable and worn couch and collapsed onto it, the piece of furniture sagging under his immense weight. Eos instantly cuddled up to him and molded herself onto his less wounded side, lifting his heavy arm over her shoulders and wrapping it around her.

"I've missed this," She said, letting out a content sigh after a few minutes of silently listening to the old record player she kept on the shelf- Mozart's Piano Concerto No.21 if he wasn't mistaken-, and the most recent piece of technology she owned. It's great to have you back home, my love."

He wanted to return the notion and just enjoy being back home and being in her presence once again, but something was… gnawing at him that had been on his mind since he fled camp. Something that he needed to get off his chest and his Eos was the best- and only- person he could talk to about it.

"...I had to… _fight_ the demigods in order to flee and steal the Golden Fleece." He told her suddenly, averting his eyes from her in order to not see the look of disappointment he knew would be there. "I tried to leave when you spoke to me… but they forced me to fight… I'm sorry."

He felt her stiffen slightly next to him, he could practically sense her thinking. "...What happened?" She softly asked after a few seconds.

"I- I'm not entirely sure…" He replied honestly, rubbing his face with his good hand. "After you spoke to me and told me that you were dying, I… I sort of lost it." He admitted, his bad hand clenched so much his nails were starting to draw blood. "I remember most of it, I didn't black out like when I lose myself to my father's curse," he explained slowly, trying to remember it all and convey it to her. "But once I started fighting and my blood started pumping… I lost myself to instinct and before I knew it I… I… I _killed_ one of the campers." He finally forced out the last bit, ashamed of himself for it.

Due to his closed eyes he didn't know Eos was moving until he felt her turn slightly to press up against him, so that she was facing him. After a few seconds her reluctantly opened his eyes when she asked him to look at her. "It wasn't the plan, Leonidas, I _know_ that. We had _hoped_ to be able to steal it without them knowing at first… but I also know that you wouldn't have done it if your mind was clear. It's _not_ your fault."

He nodded. "I… My mind just went _blank_ after I heard what you said, you two were dying and I _had_ to get to you and they were in my way…" He let out a long, defeated sigh. "I didn't realize until it was too late that I killed one of them…"

It was silent between them for a minute as they half paid attention to the music. Finally, Eos asked, "How many? How many died?"

Another long sigh. "...Two." He mumbled. "The first was Damien, son of Nemesis and the second was Clovis, son of Hypnos. I regret both their deaths… but I regret Clovis' the most."

"Why?" She asked softly.

"...Because he and the daughter of Hecate are- _were_ … _together_ …" He let out a long breath through his nose as he slightly shook his head. From next to him he heard her let out a soft 'oh, the poor dears'. "Yeah," he continued. "Just add them to the long list of couples separated too soon." He spat out harshly to himself.

"Leonidas, you didn't-"

"But I'll make it right, I _swear_ it." He cut her off, slightly shaking his head as he clenched his fist. "I _swear_ it on the Styx that I'll make it right. I'll just add them to the list of souls I'm going to liberate when I break into _Hades_ ," he mumbled the next words under his breath. "Along with the _rest of the people_ I lost too soon. I'll free them, I _swear_ it."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, love." She told him, taking his good hand in hers. "You're _only_ a man, all you can do now is pray to the Fates to grant them Elysium until you free them."

He let out another breath through his nose. "I know, babe," he admitted. "But I _still_ hate that I have to do it in the first place. They _shouldn't_ have died at all. It's not a mortals'- _or immortals'_ \- place to decide such things. That right _solely_ belongs to the Fate Sisters."

"Did you leave payment for their entrance to the Underworld?" She asked with genuine interest. "Did you have time in your haste to leave?"

"Of course I did," He told her. "After I realized that I killed them I made sure not to gravely injure another one of them in my escape. I _pray_ that they find the Drachma and give them a proper burial, _any_ demigod deserves as much. Let alone those that died in the service of their comrades. Let them rest in Elysium until the day I free them."

oooOooo

 **(AN: Follow me on Twitter)**

oooOooo

 **(Before dawn the next morning)**

"Let me do it for you, my love." Leonidas said as he sat beside Eos in their bed, who was trying to sit up despite the immense pain she was in.

"I appreciate your concern, darling, but I can handle it- OW!" She let out a cry before falling back against the pillows. She grit her teeth as the pain in her side- which was Leonidas' pain, but since they intertwined their life forces they shared their pain and injuries- sent a sharp pulse into her nerves.

Leonidas silently reached to the bedside table, taking a small vial of Nectar from it and offering it to her which she begrudgingly accepted it. "Let me do it for you, Eos, _please_."

She let out a sigh after taking a quick sip of the liquid and laying back down. "Alright… you can do it for me." She didn't miss how his eyes lit up slightly, he always enjoyed performing her duty. "But you cannot keep doing it for me, the gods will surely be on the lookout for me now that they know about us, we _must_ be careful."

He slowly rose from the bed, silently fighting through the pain in his side. They were going to wait until after sunrise to use the Golden Fleece on themselves, so their injuries still remained. But thankfully his healing abilities kicked into overdrive last night as he slept, he doesn't know if he could have been up to moving around this morning if it hadn't. "I'll be careful, love, don't you worry." He reassured her as he dressed. "But if they were going to notice you or I opening the Gates of Heaven to allow Apollo's chariot to pull the sun across the sky then they would have noticed it in the past thousand or so years you have done it after you supposedly _Faded_. If they didn't notice you opening the Heavens in the past thousand years then they won't notice me doing it now." After he finished dressing he moved to her side of the bed and placed a goodbye kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back soon, love. Then I'll collect the water and tend the garden _while you rest_." He stressed the words.

"Not until after _you_ are healed by the Golden Fleece." She replied after returning the kiss. "You can tend to our chores later."

"Alright." He relented with a soft smile, enjoying the sight of her and the knowledge of being back home after so long. "Anything else before I go?"

"...Could we maybe ride around the park this morning after sunrise?" She asked, relaxing back into her large, fluffy pillows. "We haven't done so in _ages_ and I always love doing it."

He smiled as he kissed her on the lips this time. He enjoyed simply riding around the forest that has been his home for the past few years as well. "Of course, love. But _only_ if you're feeling better." To prove that she was feeling better she pulled him into a kiss that quickly turned into the 'wandering hands' game.

After a few minutes she begrudgingly pulled away and looked out their large, natural-shaped window, letting out a sigh. "I'd _love_ to continue this, Leonidas, but you should be off, we must not be late opening the Gates, lest the mortals and gods notice."

He smirked as he pulled back. "Alright, but we're continuing this later."

With that he left the small fairytale cottage, attached the team of divine horses to Eos' chariot, grabbed the Torch that opened the Gates of Heaven and promptly flew off into the still black and starry sky.

oooOooo

 **(AN: I hope you're all havin' a nice day. Pagebreak time)**

oooOooo

 **(A few short hours later)**

After Leonidas opened the Gates of Heaven beyond the ocean at the edge of the sky, ushering in the new day, he returned home where he and Eos had some fun before healing themselves with the Golden Fleece. With Eos still slowly dying and with the sorry condition he was in, the Golden Fleece did not fully heal him at once. Which didn't really _surprise_ Leonidas much, but _still_ slightly irritated him. He'll have to regularly use the Fleece to heal him, most likely daily, until he gains Immortality.

Leonidas was stepping out of the shower as Eos silently left the pink-doored room, informing him that she was still asleep and that they would be safe to leave, if only for a short time.

Leonidas once again headed to the small stable that shimmered into view as he approached, once camouflaged as a wall of ferns, wildflowers and young trees and saddled their divine horses, Firebright and Daybright, as Eos spoiled them with a few sugarcubes.

After another minute or so they were off on their short, leisurely ride around the foot trails of the Quoddy Head State Park. All the while Eos used her _Domain_ over Dew to coat the flowers and grass along the trails. It was still too early to have a lot of visitors, but since it was famous for its sunrises- the _first_ sunrises in the continental United States in fact- it still receives a fair amount of visitors that travel their explicitly to watch the breathtaking, world famous sunrises.

If there was going to be one thing he missed when they became Immortal and flew off the live in the sky among the stars, it would be the sunrises that greeted him through their large bedroom window every morning.

They rode in silence for about half an hour until they came across the first person that seemed to notice them, a familiar park ranger that worked in the forest. One that only noticed them thanks to Eos allowing him to.

"Ah, g'morning, Mrs. Aurora." The older man tipped his wide-brimmed hat in greeting, not noticing Leonidas and his horse next to her one bit. "Lovely sunrise this mornin', I trust you saw it?" He asked the woman who _he_ saw and knew as a kind, eighty year old widowed woman that came by the park every morning to watch the sunrise. Or at least that's what _Eos_ let his mind believe. But she made sure to use her Titaness powers to make sure he never noticed that she seemingly never aged over the past decade or so that they've talked here. Before she met Leonidas, Eos never had much human interaction, so she often walked or rode about the park and talked to the rangers or hikers, all the while maintaining her appearance of an old woman.

The Titaness smiled in greeting but also because the sunrise always reflected her current mood at the time of it rising, and she had been in a _rather good mood_ this morning as it rose. "Good morning to you too, Larry." She returned the greeting with a slight wave, stopping Firebright gently. "And how many times have I told you to stop it with the 'Mrs. Aurora' nonsense?" She chided jokingly, enjoying the same greeting they've shared nearly every morning for the past decade, it never seemed to get old. "Just call me Aurora."

"More times then I can recall, Mrs. Aurora." He replied back with a kind smile. "How are you faring this lovely morning?" The man of about fifty or so asked. "You seem to be getting better, your color is returning."

"I'm feeling much better this morning, thank you for asking." She paused to take a deep breath, taking in all the smells of the forest. She just _loved_ the smell of the forest in the early morning when the flowers started to take in the early morning sun. "I feel a _dozen years younger_ ," she joked with a slight chuckle, Larry following suit. "I finally have the energy to ride the trails again. Lord knows I missed it as I was sick in bed."

"Yes yes, it was rather lonely out here without your pleasant company. Glad to have you back." The older man smiled before looking down to her horse, only seemingly now noticing it. "I wasn't aware horses were allowed on the paths…" He mumbled more to himself than to her, as if he were thinking. Eos recognized this as the time to go before he remembered that horses _weren't_ allowed on the paths and asked her about it. She hated to do it, since she liked keeping their conversations as natural and genuine as possible, but she reluctantly gave a short nod and used her powers over the Mist to make his mind momentarily fuzzy so he would forget what he was thinking about.

"Well, I must be off now, Larry." She told him, bringing him back to their earlier conversation, his thoughts about the horse completely gone now. "Places to go, people to see, you know how it is."

"Oh, yes yes, quite right, Mrs. Aurora." He smiled, tipping his hat to her again. "You have a lovely day and until next time."

"Until next time." She said in the form of a goodbye and soon they were headed their separate ways. As soon as Larry was far enough away she faced Leonidas. "I will _truly_ miss that man once we leave the mortal world behind." She told him, looking off into the sky and thinking about the day ahead now that her Leonidas was back home with her. "They just don't make mortal like that anymore…"

"He does seem rather kind, if not a little too friendly."

She rolled her eyes as she gave a soft snort. "Oh, _don't tell me_ that the great Leonidas is jealous of a fifty year old retired fishing guide." She let out a light, melodic chuckle at his slightly miffed expression.

"I'm _not-_ "

"Yeah yeah, you just keep telling yourself that." She waved him off kindly. Leading them down a path that lead to their hidden cottage. She wished more than anything to be able to ride around the park longer with her love, but they had already been away from home long enough and had to be there when she woke up, lest she be frightened. Eos only listened with half an ear as Leonidas told her of his plans for today, mostly tending to their cottage and the grounds around it. Since she hadn't been in the best health since he was gone, _nor having the time_ , she hadn't done many chores around their home. The floors needed to be swept, firewood needed to be cut and the garden needed to be tended to. A small smile formed on her lips, it _always_ amused her seeing someone like her husband wearing gardening gloves and an hand-stitched gardening apron tending to the tomatoes or sweeping their floors. It never felt so… much like _home_ without him.

Oh _Chaos_ did she miss him while he was with the demigods. She was _so lost_ without her Leonidas. She secretly prayed that she would be able to live long enough to see their dreams of an, _albeit unusual_ , peaceful life in the sky among the stars come true.

* * *

 **(Author's Note)**

 **Thanks for reading, I know it was shorter than I typically aim for, but it ended on a really good point and I couldn't think how to add anymore without forcing it. And since I wouldn't do that, I decided to leave it as it was. Hope you liked it, I tried my best to add some genuine affection to their relationship that was previously missing since we never really spent much time with them. Let me know what you thought about it. How were Leonidas and Eos this chapter? Learn more about them? Like her more?**

 **Once again please leave a Review, Follow/Favorite and vote on the poll on my FF profile. Please also Follow me on Twitter if you have one, I post updates, questions and polls on there. For instance one that just ended that you guys will be able to vote on below. It's for later on in this story so please vote for your favorite among the top three.**

 **Have a good one and until next time,**

 **Hephestus**

 **Fun Fact:** Eos, not surprisingly at all, loves the color pink and any shade of it or purple. But her all-time favorite is 'sunrise pink' as she calls it. If she could she would paint the entire sky that particular shade of pink, but alas she only has control over the Dawn.

 **Question of the day:** Any American Football, Wrestlers or Lacrosse players out there? I need some help with a future project I'm starting up. I'm creating a female character that plays girl's lacrosse but is also on the boy's football and wrestling team and I'm trying to figure out the best position for her to play in football and lacrosse. I was a band geek in HS so I've never done these sports so I don't know what position she should play. Any ideas? Let me know. I know that when girls play football in fiction they are usually the Quarterback, but her personality, size and skills better lend themselves to a defensive position in my mind. But here's some background: she's _very_ tall, 6'1+" and about 160lbs and very muscular and fit. I was thinking of having her be a linemen in football due to her height, weight, build and strength but didn't know which position would suit her best, let me know. I was getting a sort of Larry Allen Sr vibe when coming up with ideas for how she plays if you know who that is. Feel free to Review or PM me and I'll give you some more info on her, or at least as much as I can without telling you what story she's a part of and the plot. Thanks for any help on this, and yes, we'll see her in a future story but I can't say what it is yet. Man am I excited for it.

 **Bonus Question of the day:** So remember when I asked you guys to vote on random names for an unspecified reason with absolutely no context? Well, I'm having a hard time deciding the tied winner(as well as I added another), so let me know which one you like better(it was originally between Astra and Stella, but I'm rather partial to Astraea because of the sound of it and because of the relation to Greek myth):

~Astra - from astro and astronomy, but comes from Astraeus, the Greek Titan of the Stars and Dusk

~ Astraea - from Astraeus, her father. Means 'star-maiden'. Virgin Goddess of Justice, Innocence, Purity and Precision

~Stella - Latin, Greek and Italian origin meaning 'star'. A feminine name

 **Next Time:** 'When in Rome…'


	24. Ch 15: When In Rome

Chapter 15: When In Rome

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone, Hephaestus here with another chapter of Champion of Olympus. This is chapter 15 out of 23, which is _downright frightening_ as we get closer to the end! Man I am _not_ ready for this story to be over! What about you guys?

I have 19 Followers on Twitter so far, not at all bad considering I just write on the internet. But can we reach 25 by the end of August? Maybe I'll give you guys a one-shot? Who knows… I know more than 19 people would be interested on projects I'm working on, polls I'm doing, sneak peeks and of course updates I give. The more Followers I get the more frequent the Tweets will become. I don't post much personal stuff, don't worry, just books/comics I buy, my work schedule for the time being and maybe my thoughts on a movie or show I watched/are watching. If I get a bigger audience then I'll focus it more to just my FF content.

Please leave a Review to tell me what you thought. I hate to say it but Reviews pretty much equal motivation for me a good chunk of the time, so the more I get pumped up by reviews the more likely I am to write. Follow/Favorite this story and myself. Please also follow me on Twitter as stated above.

Also, as you may have noticed I changed the AN from **bold** to regular text to see which one I prefer. Let me know which one you guys let better.

Have a good one, Hephaestus

* * *

Chapter 15: When In Rome

 _[Recap: After returning from Olympus with critical news from the gods, in which Percy learned that the Promised Day will claim the lives of nearly a dozen gods and that Zeus fears that the Titans will unite against Olympus, Percy set out after Leonidas. With the assistance of Thalia and the hunters Medeia, Alexandria and Cleo, Percy hopes to track down the son of Heracles to quench the desire to find the man that he feels in his soul. But once he finds the son of Heracles will he be able to convince him to join their side to protect Olympus or will Percy be forced to kill Leonidas in order to protect Olympus? Will Percy, Thalia and the hunters be able to track Leonidas down? Will Leonidas be willing to talk or will he attack them outright?_

 _We also spent some time with Leonidas and Eos in their fairytale cottage in West Quoddy Head, Maine.]_

 **(June/6/2011 - Berkeley Hills, California, United States)**

 _~Two days after Percy, Thalia and her hunters left to find Leonidas~_

A lone, towering, hulking, imposing figure stood atop a steep hill overlooking the highway. Around the bottom of the hill were a few cozy, warm, inviting houses that were separated from the highway by a tall chain-link fence that was full of rather large holes, but _none_ big enough to fit him. So he would simply go over. The highway was split in two directions, each one having their own tunnel. In the middle of the two tunnels sat a cement wall built into the hillside, with a rather large, thick and impressive looking metal door like a bunker in the exact middle.

Strangely enough two teenagers flanked the entrance in full armor, armed with long spears, their plumed Roman helmets swaying slightly in the breeze.

"Hiding as a maintenance tunnel eh?" The figure mumbled to himself in a low, baritone voice as he slowly walked to the edge of the hill and jumped into the sky. "Clever."

The two guards were talking, rather tired after being on watch for the past ten hours and trying _anything_ to keep from falling asleep. Lest they incur the wrath of Reyna. The male, of about age fifteen or so, was about to ask the girl that was a little older than him if she was free this weekend to get some coffee and _hopefully_ score his first 'sorta' date in months when without warning a great sound broke out as if the very heavens tore open and a colossal figure dropped from the sky and landed with one knee on the ground and the other bent, the classic superhero landing pose, _somehow_ not shattering the ground beneath him as he landed.

The male was about to thrust his spear at the intruder when the dust cloud cleared and he caught a good look at the figure, his breath instantly catching in his throat.

The figure, now revealed to be a hulking, six foot eight inch brobdingnagian beast of a man, adorned in a golden, shimmering fur cloak that reflected the early morning rays, almost enough to blind the two guards. He wore traditional Spartan boots and greaves that covered his lower legs, while his upper thighs were bare bar a leather and hide wrap that hung freely in the breeze. A large, ornate lion's head with an open maw formed out of the bronze belt harness that covered his abs. A single leather belt strap slung across his otherwise bare chest, holding his shimmering cloak in place. Forcing his eyes to look up further, the demigod guard nearly collapsed when he saw a massive, frightening lion's head with an open jaw sat on top of the giant's head. The lion's shimmering golden mane swaying in the breeze and reflecting the early morning light like a miniature sun.

In that moment… _all_ the demigod could feel was the sheer amount of crippling, debilitating fear that this man emitted. Like he was the physical embodiment of _might itself_.

If he peed himself in that moment he honestly couldn't remember, but he'd bet good money that he did.

When the massive man rose from his landing stance and rose to his full height before making his way a step closer to them, David finally returned to reality, remembering that it was _his_ job to protect New Rome from _all_ attackers and incursions. But after looking up to the mountain of a man that watched them silently as if observing what they would do, he gulped, coming to the realization that he could _never_ , in _no way_ , stand up against this man. But it was his sworn duty to protect New Rome with his life. So if he could do his part by surviving long enough to ring the warning siren, then he would consider it a duty fulfilled.

So with a fluctuating heart and trembling arms, he slowly raised his spear at the titanic man, believing it to be the very last thing he would _ever_ do and let out a loud, feral cry as he thrust his spear at the man...

...Only for his partner, Kianna, to roughly grab his spear as he attempted to stab the mysterious man, tearing it out of his hands and throwing it to the ground. Shouting at him the next second at the top of her lungs. "Are you _out of your bloody mind?!_ "

The next second she dropped to a kneeling position like a stone, bowing her head low to the giant before looking to David like he was crazy. " _What are you doing?_ " She demanded in a hushed whisper. " _Don't_ you know who this is?"

David dumbly shook his head as the massive man watched them with interest, his piercing reddish-amber eyes trained on them like he could read _every_ thought they had, knew _every_ secret they held, knew _every_ action they'd make before they made it, _everything_ about them. Kianna let out a sigh. "Rookies _never_ do their homework," she mumbled to herself before rushing out a quick explanation. "Only _one_ god in history looks like _that_ ," she told him, averting her eyes of the large man. "The son of Jupiter himself, the _single greatest_ hero of _all time_ , the divine protector of mankind…" A shiver slightly ran town her spine as she let her eyes briefly meet his face, out of fear, panic and, _admittedly_ attraction.

"Lord Hercules."

It was right then when she forcefully pulled David down to mimic her kneeling stance. Lord Hercules was an honored, _well respected_ god who was held with the _highest respect_ in New Rome. He was _by far_ the greatest, strongest and most famous son of Lord Jupiter himself, truly a legend even among the gods. She sure wasn't going to give _Lord Hercules_ of all gods reason to be pissed at her. With a slightly shaking voice she spoke to the supposed god.

"M-my apologies, L-Lord Hercules." She bowed her head even lower at saying his name, lest she be smited for insolence. She gestured to David. "My partner is new to the Legion, my Lord, he is unfamiliar with the Roman world and gods. H-he did not know it was you! I swear it! He would _never_ dishonor you in such a way!" She pushed David's head lower until his nose hit the dirt. "We humbly beg for your-"

Suddenly the god spoke, his voice a low baritone, almost bass as it rumbled in his throat. "You recognize me as Lord Hercules on sight?" He paused for a half second. " _Well done_. At ease, Romans." Kianna dared to lift her eyes up to him and was surprised to find his arm outstretched to her. _Hercules, the strongest god on Olympus, was offering her his hand to help her up!_ Gods kill her now, she must be dreaming. "You may rise." After a few seconds dumbly staring at his large hand, she lifted herself up slightly and ever so gently placed her hand in his. As soon as she did, his titanic fingers softly molded around hers as he effortlessly helped her rise to her feet. Once she was standing she held onto his hand for a few seconds longer than she should have before realizing what she was doing and quickly tore her hand way. Mumbling an apology as David rose to his shaking feet.

After a few seconds coming to terms with the fact that she was standing in front of Lord _frickin'_ Hercules, Kianna dusted herself off and assumed her 'at attention' stance. "Lord Hercules, my apologies for the… rather unorthodox welcome. We did not expect you. In fact we had no knowledge of your arrival, if we had known we would've-"

"It is fine, soldier." He cut her off kindly, offering her a calming smile that she didn't expect. But what did she know? She's never personally met a god, _let alone_ one with such a history and importance. He looked to David. "You were merely doing you duty, I can respect your resolve to fulfil your duty. Although," his smile dropped slightly, causing Kianna to gulp. "It is _unwise_ to challenge an opponent that _so clearly_ outranks you so openly like that. In the future I would suggest to choose your battles more carefully. It is not shameful to live to fight another day."

David nodded vigorously as Kianna spoke up. "My Lord, if I may be so bold as to ask-"

"Ask away, soldier." He told her before briefly looking up to the morning sky, most likely at some divine, godly thing she couldn't hope to understand. "But make it brief, I am on a rather tight schedule. My… _father_ keeps me quite busy as you know…"

Motivated to not anger Lord Hercules, Kianna quickly continued. "Lord Hercules, it is just that we have not received word from _any_ god in well over a year. Why have you decided to come to us now?" Right after she finished she immediately regretted her choice of words, _how could she be so stupid?!_ He's _Hercules_ , she shouldn't question him like that. "I-I'm sorry Lord Hercules, I should not have-"

"No no," he interrupted her. Waving it off simply. "It is a fine question, but one I am not at liberty to discuss, I'm afraid. Secrets of Olympus and all that, you understand." Kianna made sure to nod several times to show him that she did. "I am actually here in stead for my father, I must speak with your Augur, it is urgent. Will you take me to them?"

Kianna agreed instantly. "Of course!" She nodded like a lunatic before stopping when her head started to hurt and stepped back to open the large, metal vault door and gesturing for him to follow her. "Stay out here and keep watch until I return, David." She told her partner quickly before facing the god again. "Right this way, my Lord. If you would just follow me I will promptly lead you to our Augur."

"Thank you, Roman." He said as he followed her through the thick door, having to twist his body to the side to allow his massive shoulders to fit. Once he was inside, Kianna felt even _more_ intimidated, in the small confines of the tunnel he somehow seemed _even bigger._ After they walked for a little while she turned her head to more or less face his direction, better to show him respect, she thought.

"Shall I call our Praetors Reyna and Frank, my Lord? So that I can-"

"No thank you, soldier." He cut her off quickly. "That is not needed."

She hesitated slightly. "...But my Lord, it is the duty of the entryway guard to announce every visitor, _especially one such as yourself_ , to New Rome. Our Praetors at least should be made aware of your arrival so that they can greet your in person."

"I understand, soldier." His tone seemed a little irritated to Kianna now, which frightened her beyond words. He was the mightiest godly son of Jupiter, pissing him off could ruin her entire life. "But I am here on a… _discrete_ assignment from my father. I was told to attract the least amount of attention and speak with the Augur _personally and alone_. I _must_ follow Lord Jupiter's orders, you understand that, _right?_ "

After the fastest internal battle in history, Kianna nodded and dropped the subject. "Of course, my Lord." She said quickly, increasing her pace to arrive in New Rome that much faster. "I apologize."

After they walked through several hundred yards of tunnel, they were presented with a bowl-like valley, spreading out for several miles in all directions bar the one they came from. Inside the valley were golden fields, rolling hills and even thriving forests surrounded by a clear river.

White, marble buildings peppered the corner of the valley, each a modern marvel of architectural engineering. There were golden palaces, expansive gardens, wide open plazas, gushing fountains and marble statues galore. Across the lake to the south stood dozens of temples, each unique and beautifully stunning in its own right. Several stone and wooden bridges curved over the rivers, merging the lands together. But the thing that caught your eye was the large, obviously military encampment about a half mile square, defended and built as an impenetrable fortress. Ever-watching sentries accompanied with large, mounted crossbows flocked around each wooden tower around the corners, using the height advantage to keep an eye on the entire area. And all around the area dozens of kids, teenagers and adults milled around, polishing weapons and armor, sword fighting, running laps or simply on guard.

"Lord Hercules," Kianna said, pulling him out of his thoughts, her hand gesturing to the city. "May I present to you; New Rome."

 **oooOooo**

 **(AN: Remember to leave a Review)**

 **oooOooo**

Despite Lord Hercules' request that his arrival not be announced, word quickly spread of his presence as Kianna quickly as possible lead him to the new Augur. Her accompanier was _extremely_ hard to miss, downright impossible to blend in with the countless demigods and Legacies walking around the city. So he was easily spotted. Even before the gods went silent it was extremely rare for one of them to appear in person, _let alone_ such a powerful and legendary son of Jupiter. _No_ Roman had seen Lord Hercules in over two thousand years, at least as far as Kianna knew, so his arrival at Camp Jupiter of course brought with it excitement and worry.

Kianna tried her best to clear a path for the god as she led him to the Auger, moving her spear in front of her to clear the way. She knew the campers were just curious about the very obvious gods freely walking about the city and wanted to see why he was there or even who he was, as some of them _somehow_ didn't recognize him on sight, which confused Kianna quiet a lot. But after about fifteen minutes or so of leading Lord Hercules, in which he never offered her a single word, much to her chagrin, since he was _rather_ attractive with an aura of power around him- Kianna subtly shook her head, she should _NOT_ be crushing on the Prince of Olympus of all people, er, _gods_. She cleared her mind of such inappropriate thoughts just as they made it to the _Augury_ _Templum_ , the home to the new Augur of Camp Jupiter.

"Here we are, Lord Hercules." Kianna gestured to the large, marble building. "Our new Auger, Navius, is inside. I am sure that he can assist you with… _whatever_ you require."

The god gave her a small nod and offered her a smile, causing a small blush to creep across her face. _Figures_ the one guy she likes is a literal god, maybe her standards were too high. "Thank you for your assistance, soldier. I will be sure to inform my father about your honor and devotion to the gods." She nearly swooned when he gave her another smile. "But this is farewell, I will see myself out once I am done. Thank you again."

"Y-your w-welcome, Lord Hercules." She stuttered out, chiding herself for being so awkward. Before she could embarrass herself any further, she promptly turned around and headed off back to her post. She considered going to the Praetors to inform them of his arrival, but he had been rather explicit with his orders about _not_ telling anyone he was here. But it turns out she did not need to worry about it, as a small horde of Romans flocked to the always busy Praetors to try to be the first to inform them of their godly visitor.

Hearing soft footsteps coming up his marble stairs, the Augur jotted down a few quick notes of his observations in a leather bound tome and turned to greet his guest. Surprised to have a visitor since the _last_ Augur left a sour taste in the mouths of the Roman campers. But when he saw the large figure standing in front of him he let out an undignified and rather feminine yelp.

"Uh, ehem." The Augur, Navius, cleared his throat and attempted to find the words to speak. After a few more seconds, and a large gulp, he finally recognized who he was ignoring and instantly dropped to his knees, bowing low. "Oh, my lord!" He cried, his face buried in the marble floor. "I must apologize, I meant no-"

"No apology necessary, Roman." The god interrupted him with a low, rumbling voice. "You may rise."

Navius hesitated for a slight second before climbing to his feet slowly, still keeping his head lowered to the god in respect. "Lord Hercules," He nodded his head briefly, his hand on his chest. "It is _truly_ an honor. You grace New Rome and our _Templum_ with your presence. How may I assist you?"

The lion-clad god studied the large room around them for a few seconds before facing the Augur. "You are the Augur, I presume?"

"Yes, m'Lord." Navius nodded his head, gesturing for the god to follow him further into the temple. Once inside, the god began to slowly circle the room, taking in all the sights with intellectual eyes. "The _Templum_ , as well as myself, are at your service. I will gladly assist you in any means." He hesitated slightly, unsure as to why the Prince of Olympus and the single greatest son of Lord Jupiter was simply standing before him, eyeing the temple with interest and observing the various star charts on the walls. "...Are you by chance here to deliver news from Olympus? A Prophecy? Or perhaps a declaration of a Quest?"

His visitor did not reply for a full minute, instead clearly content with reading over Navius' detailed notes on the flight paths of birds over the city, an Augurs' main means of reading the will of the gods. Finally, after glancing over a very large and detailed map on the wall, he turned to face him. "You are correct, mortal…, _in a way_." He added the last bit as an afterthought, causing Navius' brow to raise slightly. "I have been tasked with the protection of Mount Olympus, by my father, _Lord Jupiter_. My quest must be kept secret from the mortal world and the other Olympians… I have been sworn to not disclose this information as it may endanger Olympus… but I have chosen to ask for your assistance. Can I trust you to help me and not tell anyone why I am here?" He briefly paused to glance at Navius, who gulped before nodding. "On my journey I have discovered a… plot against the gods. I require more information before being able to proceed." At this he took a step forward and was instantly right in front of Navius. "Will you assist me?"

Navius nodded in agreement instantly. "Of course, my Lord." He hesitated slightly. "But, uh, I mean- how may I be of assistance to you?" The corner of the god's lip curled up slightly in a hint of a smile, the only show of emotion he had displayed so far, Navius took it as a win.

"I need to know about a date in the near future, a date that will _no doubt_ change the very course of human, _and Immortal_ , history. " The god held out his large hands out in front of him like he was holding open a book. "I need to know _all_ of the events and proceedings of this day… along with the conclusion of it." He dropped his left hand and placed his other on Navius thin shoulder, moving his piercing reddish-amber eyes to Navius'. His eyes wavering slightly, as if he were having difficulty keeping up a tough facade. "Can you help me, Roman?"

Navius nodded after a few seconds, distracted by his thoughts. "O-of course, m'Lord." He gulped one last time before shaking his head again. "Just tell me the date and I will do all I can to assist you."

He heard his visitor let out a long, no longer restrained breath. "June twenty first of this year," he told the Augur. "The Promised Day."

 **oooOooo**

 **(AN: Please vote for the Poll at the bottom, thanks)**

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"Can someone tell me _why_ in Jupiter's name I wasn't alerted the _second_ he stepped foot in New Rome?" Demanded Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Praetor of Twelfth Legion Fulminata, as she and her co-Praetor, Frank Zhang, quickly marched to the _Augury Templum_ , a small battalion sized group of Romans following them in excitement of seeing the famous son of Jupiter.

"M-my apologies, Reyna," One of the Centurions beside her spoke up. "But we did not know he entered the city because the guards didn't announce his arrival. I only heard this news right before you did."

Reyna muttered out a low curse in Latin under her breath. They had not received _any_ news from Olympus for over a year and none other than the most famous, powerful and honored son of Lord Zeus himself, Lord Hercules, entered her city and she wasn't made aware of it?

"Whatever," She told the Centurion. "But find out who the entry guards are, and _why_ they didn't alert us of his arrival. I expect to see them waiting outside our tent when we return."

"At once, Praetor." The Centurion quickly nodded and ran off.

From either side of her, Reyna heard her dogs, Aurum and Argentum, let out a low growl as they traveled towards the _Augury Templum_. She didn't know what they sensed, but the city had been on high alert from the near-constant and ever-growing raids from Monsters for weeks now. So she knew they sensed _something_ and were trying to warn her, she just didn't know _what_ they were trying to tell her. _But hopefully that is why Lord Hercules is here,_ she thought to herself as she increased her speed. _I just_ _ **pray**_ _to all the gods above that he brings good news…_

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Reyna, Frank and the large assortment of soldiers reached the _Augury Templum_ to find a mammoth, hulking man adorned in a golden, shimmering lion's skin descending down the marble steps. He didn't seem to notice them however until they stopped a few steps away from him. He looked… _frustrated_? _Saddened_ maybe? She couldn't tell as he quickly morphed his face to a stoic one.

"Lord Hercules, God of Might, Bravery and the Divine Protector of Mankind, it is _truly_ an honor." Reyna spoke before dropping to her knees, quickly followed by the others, offering him a low bow of respect. "I am the Praetor, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, daughter of Bellona, along with my co-Praetor, Frank Zhang, son of Mars." She gestured to the large Chinese boy next to her, bringing her head up slightly. "We would like to officially welcome you to-"

"I am sorry, Praetors," The god suddenly cut them off, looking off towards the East where the last lingering colors of dawn still hung in the sky. "But I am being… summoned. I must be off."

Reyna wore a slight look of confusion. "But, if I may ask, Lord Hercules, why are you here? Do you have news from your father?"

He looked slightly irritated now, like she was keeping him from something. "I am sorry, Roman, but I have been sworn to secrecy by my father. He has ordered me to-"

He was suddenly cut off by Aurum and Argentum's low growls as they moved slightly closer to him. Reyna's eyes widened slightly but checked her reaction, instead looking to Lord Hercules. "I apologize, my Lord, my dogs can sense lies…" She looked slightly hesitant, not knowing _what_ she should do. Does she call out a god for lying? He'd have a good reason for it, right? Finally, she settled for, "Is there anything we can assist you with?"

The god quickly shook his head. "I told you no, Roman." His tone turning slightly lower. "What I do is the business of Olympus, you may _not_ question _me_." He narrowed his eyes slightly when the dogs growled again. He looked back up to Reyna. "I cannot stay any longer, I am being called and must leave. Good day." With that he turned on a dime and started walking away. Reyna, who after checking with her dogs to see if he was lying again, _which he wasn't_ , didn't know what to do. She _may_ be Praetor, but that didn't grant her the right nor ability to question the gods, let alone Lord Hercules. So she simply let him walk further away, towards the boundaries of the city, not knowing what to do but glaringly aware of the sense of… _dread_ and _warning_ in her stomach. _Something_ wasn't right, she could sense it. Lord Hercules didn't act, well, like she expected him too from all the stories she had heard about him over the years. He sure _looked_ the part, but she couldn't remember the last time a god entered the city _through the front door_. She she headed off towards the boundary of the city. And because she had a _question_ about a god, she decided to _ask_ a god.

She reached the boundary of the city limits after a minute, happy for the first time in her life to see Terminus, the god of boundaries loudly yelling at a camper for something or another. As she approached he cut off his lecture and 'faced' her. "Ah, Praetor," He greeted her, overly sweet. "What a lovely surprise. How can I-"

She cut him off without a concern, this was more important than formalities. "I need your help, Terminus."

The statue god looked miffed by her interruption. "Why, in _all my years_ serving this camp, I haven't been interrupted-"

"My apologies, Terminus." She cut in again, getting to the point. "But I fear we have an intruder in the city."

This sobered the grouchy god instantly, his eyes widening. "What? Where?" He demanded. " Let me at 'em. Let me at 'em! I'll show that no good intruder what for! I'll strangle him myself for breaking into my city!"

"He arrived about twenty minutes ago," She told him quickly. "He _claimed_ to be Lord Hercules-"

" _Lord Hercules?!_ " He exclaimed. "My dear, if Lord Hercules _truly_ entered this city, _I_ of all people would know."

"So that person _isn't_ Lord Hercules?" She asked, Aurum letting out a low growl next to her in confirmation. "He's an imposter?"

"Yes!" Terminus cried. "Let me find this man, Reyna, one that would so willing steal the identity of one of our greatest gods! I'll teach him to respect Rome!"

"Be my guest, Terminus." She told him as she turned to face her soldiers- knowing he wouldn't actually be able to do anything- who stiffened as she addressed them. "Gather as many soldiers as you can and run to the entryway! We have an intruder in New Rome and we _cannot_ let him get away!"

They complied with a quick "Yes ma'am!" Before running off. Frank, the only person who stayed, turned to her.

"What do you think, Reyna?" He asked. "Who is the imposter and why was he here?"

"...I have no idea." She told him honestly. "But we must be prepared for anything. With the rate of Monster attacks growing by the day, we _cannot_ risk anything." She shouted to a camper running past. "Head to the _Augury Templum_ and fetch Navius for me. Have him meet us at the entryway." The camper nodded and ran off in the other direction. Turning back to Frank, she continued. "A little part of me _hoped_ he was really Lord Hercules… we could _really_ use his help right now."

 **oooOooo**

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Leonidas was about to leave New Rome without issue when he saw a large group of armored Romans suddenly file onto the road in front of him. And if his ears weren't mistaken, they were behind him as well. He let a low growl escape his lips before turning to face Reyna and Frank that were quickly approaching him, placing a big smile on his face.

"Praetors?" He asked in a confused tone. "Is there an issue? I have been summoned, I must be off-"

"Who are you?!" Reyna cut him off, raising her hand in a 'ready' position, followed by a small battalion of archers quickly raising their bows at him.

He hesitated for the briefest of seconds. "You know who I am, Roman. I am Hercules-"

Aurum and Argentum growled fiercely, cutting him off. Reyna looked from them to him. "My dogs can sense your lies, _imposter_ , tell me, who are you and why have you come here?!"

Leonidas heard a low rumble in the sky above him, a sound inaudible to everyone _but him_ and let out another low growl. _Eos needed him right away_. "I have come in _peace_." He stressed the word, holding up his empty hands. "I have not harmed nor threatened _anyone_ here. I _don't_ want to fight." _I don't have_ _ **time**_ _for that_ , he thought to himself. "So _please_ ," be begged, looking right into Reyna's eyes. "Let me leave in peace _right now_ or I will be forced to do something I'll regret."

Reyna's heartbeat increased slightly, as if her body could sense the power rolling off of this man, which she thinks she actually _could_. He was… _unfathomable_. _Uncontrollable_. _A force of nature_. _That_ was the only way she could hope to describe him, yet those words didn't give him justice. He _radiated_ power, like _all_ sources of strength in the world generated from within his body. Looking at this man, with Frank beside her and a small army of soldiers behind them… she could sense they would lose.

It wouldn't be a contest. They had no hope. They would only survive as long as he allowed it.

Realizing this, Reyna, for the _first time_ in her life…

...Stepped back and dropped her sword to the ground in surrender.

She could literally sense her army behind her gasp, and she could feel Frank's confused eyes on her, but she had _no_ choice. This man… this… this _God_ \- because _that's what he was_ , _NO_ mortal on earth matched the sheer power of this man- that stood before her, could _no doubt_ single-handedly destroy New Rome and kill _all_ of her people if he wanted to.

So she dropped her sword to the ground and lowered herself to one knee, bowing her head in surrender for the first time in her life. Her soldiers, though reluctantly, quickly followed suit. From behind her, she heard more than a hundred swords, spears, shields, helmets and knees hitting the dirt in unison. It both saddened her heart and brought her relief. Under her leadership, for the _first time in centuries_ , _Rome had surrendered._

"We surrender." Her voice was shaky, frightened. She only _hoped_ that he would accept their surrender and leave. "Leave. Please."

The giant man's shoulders dropped from their tensed position and she could feel the slight pull back on his foreboding aura. "Thank you, daughter of Bellona." Came his reply, he gave her a brief, firm nod. "You have chosen wisely." before adding, "I did not wish for more blood to be split," under his breath as he began to turn away and headed for the exit.

But as soon as his foot entered the tunnel a massive explosion of energy ruptured in the air above them.

'BOOOOM!'

The Romans around Reyna let out surprised and frightened cries as they grabbed their weapons and jumped to their feet, looking towards another explosion this time destroying an armory.

'HrrrrrRAAAHHH!' Without preamble the warning sirens blared as another building near them ascended into the sky. Reyna's eyes widened instantly, knowing what this meant.

Rome was under siege.

But not only by the Monsters that plagued them for weeks… but by a Titan army.

Reyna's eyes moved to the wall in front of them as it exploded inwards, shouting at her soldiers. "TAKE COVER!"

The city quickly burst into chaos in mere seconds as Monsters burst through the gaping, smoking hole by the countless dozens. But behind the Monsters, three gigantic figures slowly stepped through the shimmering wall with a sense of power that rivaled the imposter.

Titans.

"ROMANS!" She cried, her voice shaking the air around her. "TO ARMS! DEFEND NEW ROME!"

With a rallying cry that shook the very foundations of the earth, the Romans around her charged the overwhelming army. "RAHHHHH!"

It took Reyna approximately three seconds to realize that they were going to fall this day. As she observed the scene around her, every sight made her heart drop more.

Hellhounds, massive, vicious, cannibalistic beasts gathered by the dozen as they ran through and jumped over the ranks of her Romans. Using their abyss-black teeth to rip the throats of her people.

Cyclops barreled through the walls of shields and with the swings of their massive clubs, sent countless campers flying into the air only to fall to the hard ground, unmoving and broken.

The lead Titan, who was awash in shimmering, electric blue flames, let out a loud laugh as he dashed into the camp, easily cutting a swath through the soldiers and only leaving charred, blackened, unrecognizable corpses in his wake.

Reyna was suddenly shaken from her state when the lead Titan turned and faced her before letting out a cruel laugh and charging for her.

"Reyna! Look out!" She heard Frank cry as he pushed her out of the way, barely escaping the torrent of blue flames shot at her. Frank suddenly brought her to face him. "What are you doing?!" He cried. "Get your mind in the game! Were losing Romans here! _What_ are we going to-"

But Frank was cut off when the angry Titan suddenly pulled back his fire-covered arm and launched another cannon of flames at them-

'FWOOOSH!'

Reyna could feel the heat in her bones as the fire engulfed them- _no_ , _not engulf them_ , but went _around_ them. She dared to open her eyes and found the dazzling flames harmlessly flying past them on either side, as if the flames had been parted down the middle. Her eyes moved to where the fire was coming from and the sight before her stopped her breath-

-It was the imposter.

He was _protecting_ them. Shielding them with his very body. He stood a few feet in front of her and Frank, his large arms held out in front of him, his lion skin cloak gripped tightly in his hands. Taking the entire force of the bone-melting heat.

The fire died down after a few seconds, the Titan believing them dead. He was surely surprised, as was _everyone_ around them, to discover that the mysterious man had taken the full force of the attack and was still standing.

The giant man dropped his arms to his sides, where Reyna could see his exposed skin was charred black, flaking off and crumbling in the light, hot breeze. With a shaky foot, he boldly stepped towards the Titan and wordless summoned a massive warhammer from a tattoo on his arm and with nearly god-like speed he rushed at the Titan on a cloud of air and introduced him to the Celestial Bronze and Tempered Steel spike of his hammer.

'CrrrAAAACCCKKK!'

The two remaining Titans, _as well as all the Romans,_ gasped in shock when the Titan's severed and bloody head fell from his shoulders and dropped to the ground, rolling a few feet before stopping in front of his brothers.

Suddenly, the imposter spoke, his low baritone voice awash with conviction and authority. "You asked who I am, daughter of Bellona?" He asked, his back to her as he faced the Titans, raising his mighty hammer at them. "I am the man that wishes to remove such destructive beings like the Titans from this world in order to usher in a new, never-ending era of peace, love and growth in the world." Without warning the earth below his feet shook as if a thousand war drums began to beat, quickly increasing their rhythm and volume. The very heavens above them sounded as if it were split in two as he slammed the hammer on the ground.

"I am the son of Heracles, the mortal destined to change the world and selected by the Fates themselves to usher in a new era." He slowly raised the hammer up, leveling it at the two frozen Titans. "I am the Champion of Olympus."

* * *

(Author's Note)

Well, what did you think? I can't be too long since I gotta go to bed to be up early for work. Let me know what you thought about it. Did you think Leonidas was going to attack the Romans? Maybe kill some of them? Let me know. How was Reyna? I hope I conveyed just how much Leonidas terrified her in a convincing way. She's not a coward nor an idiot, she can sense the strength of someone easy. And when that person is _Leonidas_ , you can be sure she'd be scared. Can't wait to find out what happens in ch16? Well leave a lot of feedback on this chapter and I'll be motivated to work faster. I'll try to get it out by Friday.

Leave a Review, Follow/Favorite and all that jazz. I'll see you guys next time.

Hephaestus

 **Fun Fact:** In my original plan, when Leonidas was just an angry, basically evil guy who wanted to prove he was better than everyone, I was going to have him attack New Rome simply because he could. That version of him thrived on destruction and a 'good fight'. He basically just went in there to kill as many people as possible and just flip off the Greeks by saying, 'I dare you to do something' after he left camp after killing a few of them. I, for one, like this version of Leonidas _MUCH_ better.

 **Question of the day:** 'What do you want to see when Percy eventually tracks down Leonidas? What do you want them to talk about?'

 **Bonus Repeat Question of the day:** So remember when I asked you guys to vote on random names for an unspecified reason with absolutely no context? Well, I'm having a hard time deciding the tied winner(as well as I added another), so let me know which one you like better(it was originally between Astra and Stella, but I'm rather partial to Astraea because of the sound of it and because of the relation to Greek myth):

 **~Astra** \- from astro and astronomy, but comes from Astraeus, the Greek Titan of the Stars and Dusk

 **~ Astraea** \- from Astraeus, her father. Means 'star-maiden'. Virgin Goddess of Justice, Innocence, Purity and Precision. Pronounced (aa - str - EH- aa)

 **~Stella** \- Latin, Greek and Itallian origin meaning 'star'. A feminine name

 **Another Bonus Repeat Question of the day:** Any American Football, Wrestlers or Lacrosse players out there? I need some help with a future project I'm starting up. I'm creating a female character that plays girl's lacrosse but is also on the boy's football and wrestling team and I'm trying to figure out the best position for her to play in football and lacrosse. I was a band geek in HS so I've never done these sports so I don't know what position she should play. Any ideas? Let me know. I know that when girls play football in fiction they are usually the Quarterback, but her personality, size and skills better lend themselves to a defensive position in my mind. But here's some background: she's _very_ tall, 6'5+" and about 160lbs+ and very muscular and fit. I was thinking of having her be an Offensive Guard in football due to her height, weight, build, strength and bursts of speed but don't know which position would suit her best, let me know. I was getting a sort of Larry Allen Sr vibe when coming up with ideas for how she plays if you know who that is(he's her idol, btw). Feel free to Review or PM me and I'll give you some more info on her, or at least as much as I can without telling you what story she's a part of and the plot. Thanks for any help on this, and yes, we'll see her in a future story but I can't say what it is yet. Man am I excited for it.

 **Next Time:** Seas and Might Speak


	25. Ch 16: Seas And Might Speak

(Uploaded Sep/21/19)

Chapter 16: Seas And Might Speak

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! I'm not dead! Hurray!

I'm SO sorry for being away for so long again, but I have some good news. I've thought it over and I've decided to try to wrap COO up by the middle of next month! I know, kinda scary when you think about it. And after this we'll have 7 chapters including the Epilogue. So while it's possible, it'll definitely be a little hard to pump out so many chapters in such a little time. I'll be honest, I should have finished this story months ago, and since I'm waiting for it to end to start my next projects it's time to finish it. How do you guys think it'll end?

I'll be quick but I have a few things to say:

First, I created a Wattpad account, same name as on here. I've put the Prologue for The Half-Blood Wars(formerly Greece vs Rome) on there as well as my Hiccstrid Snoggletog Special. At some point I may migrate THBW to Wattpad but I haven't decided yet.

Second, I took the time and wrote out the *tentative* releash schedule for new, upcoming stories and projects. I'll be putting this schedule up on my FF profile soon, it's also my pinned Tweet on Twitter. Check it out below: (please note that almost all the stories came from the Poll on my Profile and they might move around if they're ready before hand or if I need a little more time)

(mm/dd)

~ 10/1 - HTTYD Hiccstrid one-shot

~ 10/12 - Ch23/Epilogue of COO

~ 10/18 - 3yr Anniversary on FF, Percy Jackson Rewritten For Pertemis Ch1

~ 11/1 - The Half-Blood Wars Ch1

~ 11/16 - Young Justice DickBabs one-shot

~ 11/30 - Hecate Day, Lou Ellen & Clovis one-shot

~12/1 - Young Justice: Two Earths Ch1

~ 12/21 - Potential, undecided X-mas one-shot

~ 1/1 - SUPER SECRET SPECIAL PROJECT

Feel free to ask any questions you have about the schedule. But to clarify, I don't know what my upload schedule will be for chapters. As I'll have a lot of projects going on at once there might be a little more time in between chapters going forward.

Lastly, if you follow me on Twitter then you'll know that I'm looking for an artist that can help me do a commision or two(or several) for upcoming stories. I REALLY want artwork done for upcoming OC's and would LOVE to get a big number of them(like 15+) done standing together in a group. So if you know or if you are an artist and willing to help me then let me know!

* * *

Chapter 16: Seas and Might Speak

 _[_ _ **Recap:**_ _Leonidas, in search of information about the upcoming Promised Day, infiltrated New Rome under the disguise of his father. While he was attempting to leave, a large army of Monsters led by three Titans attacked New Rome with the intent to destroy it. Then without warning, with a decision that surprised Reyna, Leonidas saved her and Frank before killing the lead Titan himself. Causing the army of Monsters and their vile leaders to flee. But before Reyna and Frank could talk to the mysterious man and thank him for saving her people from certain death, he flew out from camp heading North East._

 _Now, a small team of Hunters is led by Percy and Thalia are on the hunt for the son of Heracles. So far their now four day long journey has led them to the Northern State of Maine. But what will be waiting for the group of Hunters and camper? Will Leonidas be willing to talk like Percy believes or will they be forced to fight again? Will Leonidas fight WITH the demigods on the Promised Day or AGAINST them?]_

 **(June/8/2011 - Maine)**

~Two days later~

"Can you still see his trail, Thals?" Percy, Thalia and the hunters Cleo, Medeia and Alexandra were pulled over on the side of a dirt road in a forest in Maine. Thalia was standing outside the truck, eyes glued to the sky as she searched it for the slightest hint of a disturbance from someone flying through it.

"...Just barely," She told them, moving her finger across an invisible line in the clouds that only she could see thanks to her father being the god of the Skies. "It's been four days since we started tracking him, so his old trial is all but gone." She moved to point her finger a few degrees and a few miles away.

"But I can see a new, more recent air trail coming from the West, heading in the same direction that the original one was."

"How 'recent' _is_ recent?" Cleo asked her best friend.

Thalia gave a slight shrug as she hopped back in the passenger seat next to Percy. "About two days or so, give or take."

"So that must mean that he is somewhere around here," Alexandra said from the backseat next to Medeia and Cleo. "Maybe he and the Titaness live around here? Or perhaps further North-East?"

"If we keep going North-East I'll hit Canada, or the ocean." Percy told them, pulling back onto the road and following Thalia's directions. "Where on earth could he be going? Wait, _is_ it possible that they're in Canada?"

Thalia shrugged. " _Could be_ , but most gods and Titans live in the States, bar a select few, of course. They _might_ be hiding out in Canada, in order to be out of the eyes of the gods. It's actually kind of smart."

"Well," Percy started, making his way onto a paved road. "Here's hoping we _stay_ in America, I don't think Canada likes me very much. Whenever I'm there something goes wrong."

"Something goes wrong _wherever_ you go, Kelp Head." Thalia jabbed him with a smirk when he glanced at her. "I swear, you can't go to Starbucks without blowing up the building."

Cleo let out a chuckle as Percy rolled his eyes at his annoying cousin. "Yeah, yeah, ha ha. It's not _my_ fault everything goes wrong." He muttered. "I think the Fates just hate me."

After another hour or so, Thalia led them to a small state park along the coast that Percy had never heard of before, West Quoddy Head State Park. And if the signs were to be believed, it was the Easternmost point of the continental United States.

It wasn't until later that Percy realized that it was _obvious_ that Leonidas and Eos would be hiding here, given who Eos was.

After parking and taking a dirt trail further into the park, Percy felt… a _presence_ around him. Not like they were being surrounded by Monsters, but like they were being watched. It made his gut tense up like he was about to face something he would rather not meet.

"Do you feel that?" Percy asked the small group as they deviated from the main path and into a thin footpath in the tall grass.

"You mean the feeling that is making my entire body tense like I'm about to get hit by one of my father's lightning bolts?" Thalia asked from beside him. "No, no I don't."

"It is rather peculiar," Medeia answered with a slight shiver. "As well as foreboding. Like one is being eaten alive by nerves."

"Yeah, but I also feel… _energized?_ " Alexandra spoke up next, looking off into the wall of trees. "And in the presence of something or someone extremely powerful? It almost feels like whenever I'm in the presence of Lord Zeus or one of the Olympians."

Thalia looked to Percy. "Any idea what it is, Kelp Head? What it means?"

Suddenly a low baritone voice spoke from behind them. "It means that you are getting close to what you seek, daughter of Zeus."

WIthin a second the four hunters and one camper spun on a dime, drew or summoned their weapons and came face to face with Leonidas Dione Reed, the man they were looking for.

Two things surprised Percy upon seeing Leonidas. First, he was dressed _very_ differently to how Percy was used to seeing him. Gone were his shorts, muscle tank tops and oversized sneakers. Replaced by what appeared to be a hand-stitched burlap shirt and weathered, torn, patched and faded pants, his large feet bare and stained with dirt. But what was really surprising was that he wasn't about to attack them, but was kneeling in a small garden tending to what looked like ginger root. A garden, that Percy was _positive_ wasn't there a few seconds ago.

Thalia was the first to speak, or technically, yell. "We finally found you!" She shouted, her silver bow pulled back with an arrow right between his orange amber eyes. "You'll pay for-"

Leonidas quietly cut her off, looking right to Percy, his once shining eyes dull. "How is the daughter of-, how is _Annabeth_?"

It seemed that even Thalia was surprised by his sudden question because she slightly lowered her weapon like the others. Percy considered not telling him, but something told him to tell Leonidas. "...She's on Olympus." He answered slowly, trying to figure Leonidas out. "Apollo was able to heal her a bit but Hypnos had to put her in a healing sleep because the gods are too weak to heal her right now. But she'll live."

The giant man let out a heavy sigh, briefly stopping his work pulling weeds. He offered Percy an apologetic look that he didn't know if he wanted to believe or not. "That's good. Brother, I- I'm _so_ sorry. I- I _didn't_ mean to hurt her-"

"I know." Percy cut him off, his voice tight, his jaw even tighter. "It was an accident."

Thalia stepped up beside Percy, her bow still aimed at the giant man. " _How_ can you be sure, Percy? What if he-"

"I'm sure." Percy told her softly, looking her in the eye before moving them to Leonidas'. "He may be able to trick us with his words…, but his eyes can't lie. His eyes had the same fear as mine when he hit Annabeth."

The corner of Leonidas' mouth peaked slightly, his voice soft. "Mary always told me I was a terrible liar. That was the only thing I could not learn how to master." He dropped the wooden weed puller, turning his full attention to Percy. "Tell me, how is she?"

Percy paused long enough for Thalia to give him a careful look. "She's… pregnant."

Percy heard Thalia's breath hitch slightly, most likely surprised that he told Leonidas, the man who almost unknowingly seriously hurt or even _killed_ her unborn child. Said son of Heracles froze when the word escaped Percy's lips. His dull eyes stared unblinking at Percy as his face fell.

"...I'm sorry."

Those two little simple words made Percy once again come to terms with the fact that _no matter_ how much he wished to be able to, that he _couldn't_ hate Leonidas. How could you hate someone who's voice and face broke so when he learned what he had done _on accident_ to you and the person you love? How could you hate someone with a personality so genuine? Who only has the best intentions? Someone who you have come to call a friend?

Even though Leonidas lied to him, strives to kill the gods and hurt Annabeth, Percy couldn't find it in his heart to hate Leonidas.

Percy's next words stung his throat, but it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders once they left his lips. "...I forgive you."

"Well _I_ don't!" Thalia explained, pulling her arrow back even more. Her hunters following suit. "You nearly _killed_ my best friend and her baby! And you _slaughtered_ twelve of my sisters! I should _kill you!_ "

Leonidas' face that had once lifted slightly at Percy's words dropped again, his wide shoulders following. "...I understand and accept your anger, daughter of Zeus… but please, lower your bow and your voice."

Thalia only got angrier at this, taking a bold step closer only for him to not even flinch. "Or _what?!_ What if my hunters and I pump you full of arrows before you even summon your weapons? There's still the Prophecy to worry about, but what if I kill you right now before you can fulfil it? What's gonna stop us from finding your Titaness and killing her?"

Leonidas' low voice rumbled in their bones, his amber eyes growing visibly brighter. " _I_ will." He rose to his feet slowly as if he were in immense pain, his knees shaking and creaking from the action. He climbed to his full height, towering over the group, but Percy could tell that _something_ was wrong with him. His eyes were sunken in slightly, his skin that was once otherworldly was now dull and lifeless. Even his once impressive muscular body was noticeably thinner and he looked to have lost some considerable weight. He was _still_ giant, the largest mortal Percy had ever seen, but he had obviously lost some weight.

But he faced off the hunters and Percy regardless of his condition, a testament to his resolve. But he didn't move to summon his weapons from his tattoos or even move towards them. He just stepped to the side and picked up a large, wicker basket full of an assortment of vegetables and placed a few ginger roots in it.

"I must ask again, daughter of Zeus, please lower your bow." He ignored her angry look and instead focused on using his trembling and numb fingers to pick a tomato from a vine. "This is sacred land, _all_ violence is prohibited here, not even the gods would attack me here. As the gods followed mortals to this country, they traveled with the sun, or Apollo after Eos opened the gates of heaven. And as West Quoddy Head experiences the first sunrise in America, this forest is where the gods first landed in America. But it is also the home of my love, and I promised her that I would not allow my war to reach her doorstep. I _don't_ fight in her home. Besides, you won't attack me."

"How are you so sure?" She demanded.

Leonidas gave a slight smile as he picked up the tomato he dropped with his other, less trembling hand. "Because, if you were here to confront me then you would have already attacked me." He looked from her to Percy. "You are here to talk, are you not? Ask your questions freely. I have no intention to fight or flee. I will answer any and all questions you have. You deserve that much at least."

Why did you kill my sisters?" Thalia demanded. "Why did you kill twelve of my hunters? We _know_ it was you!"

Leonidas' face dropped. "I- I didn't mean for that to happen." He told her slowly, looking away. "I… I became angry and lost myself to my father's curse."

"Your father's curse?" Percy asked.

"Yes," Leonidas nodded. "His curse; Anger. It is his Fatal Flaw, and while I have not heard mine from the Sirens, I believe it to be _mine_ as well. At least, _one of them_. When I get extremely angry I become _blinded_ by my rage." He explained, not looking at them. "I become like a mindless beast filled with _nothing but_ wrath. And it was my wrath that made me kill your sisters…" He paused slightly to move his now dull eyes to Thalia. "I am sorry, but I will bring them back, I _swear._ I will do as my father once did and travel into the Underworld while Hades is away and free the souls that I have killed and bring them back to the land of the living."

"That doesn't make it right!" Thalia yelled. "You can't just _undo_ killing them by freeing their souls!"

"I'm _aware_ of that!" Leonidas raised his voice for the first time, his low voice rumbling the ground below them. "I've caused the deaths of people not only precious to _you_ , but to _me_ as well! _I_ got my adoptive family killed because I lost myself to my rage! _I_ killed an innocent woman in front of her child because of my rage! _I_ killed a dozen innocent hunters and two campers because of this rage!" He clenched his fists with enough pressure to shatter steel. "I know better than _anyone_ that it won't make up for it! But it's the only thing I can do!"

Percy took advantage of the silence that followed and looked to Leonidas. "Leonidas, _why_ did you get angry enough to kill the hunters if you didn't mean to?"

The son of Heracles let out a calming breath through his nose. "I… became _desperate_ for a time to find a cure for myself and Eos. And I… thought that Apollo might be able to help me. So I… planned to lure Lady Artemis out by targeting her hunters."

"And do what?" Medeia demanded. "Kill her?"

Leonidas quickly shook his head. "No, of course not. I told you the truth when we met all those months ago in Colorado. I _respect_ Lady Artemis, more than _any_ other god due to her hunting abilities, skills and code of honor."

"Then what were you going to do?" Thalia asked.

"...I planned to capture her." He admitted, visibly ashamed with his words. "Then, because her brother would _no doubt_ come to her aid before any other god, I would exchange her safe return for a cure for myself and Eos."

Cleo gave the large man an astonished look. "You must have balls of Celestial bronze to _willingly_ threaten Lady Artemis in front of Lord Apollo." She muttered, looking him up and down. "He has _killed_ mortals and immortals alike for even _trying_ to hurt her. You must be insane."

"More like desperate." He told her, letting out a breath. "But you know what happened then, I could not draw her out and I, in fear of losing Eos, lost control and killed your sisters. I am _truly_ sorry."

"I don't _want_ your apology." Thalia muttered. "What I _want_ is your head on a platter."

Percy let out a slow breath. "That's not going to help anything now, Thalia. I don't forgive him, and I _never will_ , for killing Clovis and Damien, but I can try to move past it. And so should you."

Thalia looked like she was going to say something but Percy lowered her bow with his hand. "Drop your weapons, all of you." He ordered, giving his cousin a look when she tried to argue. "We're not here to fight." Looking back to Leonidas, he let out a breath.

"Tell me one thing, Leonidas, and tell it to me straight… _why?_ " He took a half step closer, putting his sword away. "Why are you doing… _all of this?_ "

The massive man was silent for a full minute, thinking over his words as he slowly and methodically tended his garden. "You want to know my reasoning for aiming to kill the gods despite experiencing my reasonings first hand." He said instead of answering, pausing his work to look at Percy.

"As I said before, this world, is on the brink of collapsing in on itself. And it's _not_ humanity's fault, but the god's." He picked up a ripe tomato and studied the fruit. "Look at this, brother. Can you imagine something so small affecting the world for the better? Even saving lives?"

"What?" Cleo asked, confused.

Leonidas gently put the tomato in his basket with weak fingers. "Hunger." He told them simply, letting out a soft sigh. "You have probably never experienced it as a hunter of Lady Artemis, so you can't understand what something as simple as a tomato can mean to a starving man. Or a drop of water to a man dying of thirst. _Every minute_ of every day, across this vast world, with an _uncountable_ number of agricultural gods and goddesses, who can cure the world of it with a _snap of their fingers_ …" He looked right to Cleo's face. " _Fifteen people_ die _every minute_ from starvation. Can you even _begin_ to fathom _twenty one thousand_ deaths every day from starvation? That's more than a _fourth_ of the total number of people the average person meets in their life. A _fourth_ of the people you could meet in your life could die from starvation tomorrow."

"And what do the gods do? What does Demeter do? Who's mere presence blesses crops and can even bring them back to life? _Nothing._ She, just like _all_ of the gods on Olympus, instead chooses to sit on her pillows of silk instead of lifting a _single_ finger to help us."

"They toy with our lives, incite incidents for their amusement, treat us as _nothing_ but their playthings." He slowly shook his head before looking to Percy. "I told you, brother, that I don't wish to rule in their stead, I don't seek a throne, nor a kingdom. _All_ I wish for is a just, righteous world in which mortals can be born, live, find love and grow old without self-serving gods interfering. Tell me, do you _honestly_ believe that the gods _care_ about us?" He looked to Thalia with a sad expression. "That your _father_ cares about you? Because _mine_ doesn't."

Thalia's face dropped slightly and Percy could tell that he struck the truth. "Some might think that I am doing this because I simply hate the gods, and while _I admit_ that I hold some strong feelings towards Ares and Zeus, I _honestly_ don't have anything against the rest of the Olympians. That is why I plan to destroy their thrones so that I don't have to strike them down. They deserve _mercy_ , not _murder_."

"But why?" Percy asked. "Why not just kill Zeus and Ares then? Why do you have to kill _all_ the gods if you don't have anything against them?"

"Because they had their chance." Leonidas told them, pointing his weed puller at them. "While they may not have ruined this world like Zeus, Ares and Aphrodite, they were _still_ all compliant and did _nothing_ as their king abused his throne and neglected the world. In that, they are guilty."

The son of Heracles paused his gardening to eye Percy. "Tell me _honestly_ , brother, do you think that the gods _shouldn't_ be held accountable for everything they've done to humanity? Done to you and your campers? Did not the king of the gods send you off to fight an army of Titans and Monsters alone while he and his fellow gods sat comfortably on their thrones? And did not _one hundred_ campers die because of it?" Percy's shoulders sunk slightly at his words. Leonidas continued with stride.

"So wouldn't you say that Zeus is responsible for those one hundred lives? As well as the _thousand_ demigod children that sided with the Titans during the battle of Manhattan? Because _I_ would. If the gods had only treated their children as _children_ and given them the _slightest amount of affection_ then Kronos' army would have been _halved_." He let out a long breath from his nose as he lightly shook his head. "But _no_ , the gods don't _care_ for us. They don't _love_ us. They consider us weapons and tools to be used to do their bidding without a _single_ thought about us or our safety. And I, for one, am of the belief that their time ruling over this world has come to an end. They don't deserve to rule as they do now."

"What if I can make them change?" Percy asked him suddenly. "I've done it before, I'll do it again."

Leonidas offered him a hollow smile. "My brother, not even _you_ can change the nature of the gods. I have been given this destiny by the Fates themselves, the _only_ way to change the world for the better is to _rid_ the world of the gods. Tell me, _honestly_ , do you believe that the world would be better off without the gods?"

"...Yes." Percy's reply was delayed and followed with surprised gasps from the hunters but it was what he truly thought. He may not have admitted it a year ago, but after everything he'd experienced in his life, he _had_ to admit that maybe the world _would_ be better off without the gods. Or, at least, with new, better people on the thrones.

"P-percy, you- you _can't_ _really_ believe that, can you?" Alexandra asked him, astonished.

He gave a slow nod. "Yeah, yeah I do. Zeus caused a hundred of my campers to die and was willing to kill _all_ of us in order to kill _me_. Ares took control over the minds of _his own_ children in order to kill me. And Zeus threatened to kill Thalia, his _own daughter_ , when she refused to kill me… He also almost let Annabeth die and won't let us get married because he thinks our parents will unite against him…" He shook his head, his fists gripped tightly. "For my entire life since I was twelve years old, I have been used, threatened, attacked and mistreated by Zeus. And now he wants to kill me despite me _still_ being loyal to him? No, not anymore. I'm done."

Cleo gave him a cautious look. "What do you mean, Percy?"

"I mean that I'm _done_ fighting for Zeus." He focused his eyes on Leonidas. "I'll _still_ fight for Olympus because I _honestly_ think that there are dozens of _innocent_ gods and I _can't_ betray my dad, but I _understand_ your reasoning. I don't _agree_ that they should _all_ die, but I agree that something _needs_ to be done." He looked to Thalia. "Thals? You agree with me, don't you?"

But the daughter of Zeus didn't answer, instead choosing to stay quiet. But Percy suspected she agreed with him.

"Swear it." Leonidas said to Percy, slowly rising from the ground again and taking a small step towards them. "Swear to me that you will do _everything_ in your power to change the gods for the better. Swear to me that you will save the world and remove Zeus from his throne."

"And what?" Percy asked.

"And I will swear to you that I will not cure the world of them." He said simply. "If you look me in the eye right now and _swear_ that you will change the world for the better then I won't kill all the gods. I will _still_ kill Zeus and Ares and steal two Golden Apples of Immortality, but I will _spare_ the rest of the gods. It is as I told you, I _don't_ wish to harm them. So if you can change them for the better, then so be it."

"What makes you sure that I'll keep my promise?" Percy asked slowly. "What if I only agree to stop you from killing the gods?"

Leonidas gave him a soft smile as if he were amused. "Because you are a man of your word. And because I want you swear it on the _Styx_." Percy's eyes widened slightly and he heard Thalia's breath hitch. "Swear to me on the _Styx_ that Zeus will no longer be king after the Promised Day and that you will protect the world from the gods after Eos and I ascend into the sky after the Promised Day. I was given a duty by the _Fates_ to save the world from the gods, after I leave the world it will fall to _you_ as it has before."

"... _If_ I swear it, then _you_ need to swear that you won't harm _any_ other gods besides Zeus and Ares." Percy told him back. " _And_ you need to swear that you will help us defend Olympus when the Titans and Monsters attack on the Promised Day."

"You _can't_ be serious, Percy!" Thalia exclaimed. "You _can't_ swear something like _that!_ You'll _die_ if you don't achieve it!"

"And if we don't make the gods change then _what's the point?_ " He asked with a little bass in his voice. "Leonidas is right, the gods _need_ to change. They've screwed the world over bad enough as it is."

"And what's your plan, Percy?" She demanded. "Are you gonna take my father's throne and become the king of the gods once Leonidas kills him?!"

"Of course not!"

"Then who'll take his throne then?!" She yelled back. "Name _one_ person in this world that you'd trust to take his throne and rule over the gods without letting the power go to their head! Name _one_ person that won't become _just like him!_ "

He answered softly, his voice almost broken. "You." He told her, looking deep into her electric blue eyes. "I'd trust you."

Thalia looked like she was going to reply but bit her lip, cursing to herself in Ancient Greek. "Well, what if I don't _want_ my dad's throne, Percy? What if the gods won't accept me, huh? Are you gonna kill them too?"

"Of course not." He told her adamantly. "I don't want to kill _any_ of them."

"But you're fine with my father and Ares dying?"

"...Yes, I am." He admitted after a few seconds. "I _hate_ to admit it, but I agree with Leonidas. Zeus and Ares _need_ to die, I just won't be the person to kill them."

"Allowing them to die is the same thing as killing them." Cleo told him, her eyes narrowed. " _How_ can you betray Lord Zeus and the gods like that?"

" _He_ betrayed _me_." Percy told her slowly, enunciating each word. "I've done _nothing_ but serve him and the gods for the past six years, and I'm _still_ loyal to Olympus and the other gods, I don't have a _single_ problem with them, but I'm _done_ serving Zeus. Besides, I already swore on the _Styx_ that I'd make Zeus pay for _everything_ he's done when I took Annabeth to Olympus. I _have_ to follow through with it."

"Swear to me that you will change the gods and I will swear that I won't harm any of them besides Ares and Zeus." Leonidas told him slowly. "Not that I don't trust you, brother, but for the sake of the world, I'd rather have your sworn word."

Percy wore a contemplative face as he thought, it was _crazy_ , but his gut was telling him to swear it. Thalia apparently noticed his face and spoke out again. "You _can't_ agree to it, Percy. You could _die_."

"The way I see it, Thals, is that as soon as Zeus returns to full power after the Promised Day, he'll just kill me outright. And there'd be _nothing_ I or _anyone_ could do to stop him. Not even you, me, Jason and Nico together could kill Zeus at full power… Maybe Ares or any other god on the council, but not _Zeus_. So I'm dead anyway." He shook his head slightly. "I _can't_ leave Annabeth, _not_ right now. I will do _anything_ to protect her and our child."

Percy slowly looked up to the taller man before letting out a breath. "If I agree then you must also swear that you will help us defend Olympus against the Titans and Monsters."

Leonidas nodded. "On that, brother, you would have my word either way. I told you, I aim to protect this world with my life, be it from the gods, Monsters or Titans."

"Alright then, ok," Percy nodded to himself a few times, letting out a breath and pacing in place for a few seconds. "I, Perseus Jackson, swear on the _Styx_ that I will do _everything_ in my power to change the gods for the better and I swear that I will do _everything_ I can to prevent Zeus from being king of the gods after the Promised Day."

An extremely loud rumble of thunder sounded above their heads, shaking the ground below them. Leonidas nodded to Percy in agreement. "Then I, Leonidas Dione Reed, swear on the _Styx_ that I will not harm a single god other than Zeus and Ares as well as help defend Olympus and the world from the Titans and Monsters on the Promised Day." Thunder sounded again, even louder this time.

Thalia looked to Percy and whispered, "I hope you know what you're doing, Percy. There's _no_ going back from this."

"I know, Thals." He answered her back, offering her a reassuring smile. "For the past several months I've had this feeling of dread and impending doom in my gut, telling me that I need to do _something_ important, that _everything_ I've done up to now is leading me to _something_ , this may be it."

"And what if it isn't?"

The son of Poseidon tore his eyes from her and looked to the ocean off in the distance. "...Then I trust you to look after Annabeth for me if I fail."

Thalia swore under her breath before turning her glare towards Leonidas. "Let's get something straight, Leonidas." She started suddenly, her eyes narrowed dangerously as they began to shimmer with electricity. "If you betray us and hurt Percy then my hunters and I will come after you and Eos. I don't care if I have to bring _every member_ of Camp and New Rome, I'll _kill_ you myself."

Leonidas, to his credit, didn't flinch. He only nodded firmly before taking a step forward and offered her his hand. "You have my word, _Thalia_. I will protect Perseus with my life, I swear it on the _Styx_." Only when the thunder boomed over head did Thalia shake his hand in return.

After letting go, Leonidas looked off in a direction that Percy could only see bushes and trees like he was listening to something or someone. And now knowing that Eos could speak to him in his mind, Percy didn't doubt that she was speaking to him.

"I am sorry, brother, Thalia, hunters." He nodded in acknowledgement to the hunters. "But I am being called. I've been away for long enough." He paused to step to the side and reached into a bush- _no_ , not _into_ , but _through_ like it wasn't even there- and pulled out an old and worn watering can and began watering the garden.

" _How_ did you do that?" Percy asked, watching closely as Leonidas put the watering can back like he was putting it on a shelf and not inside a bush that flickered for a second before returning to normal.

Leonidas smiled, "Here in Eos' land, all you need is to know where something is to obtain it."

"Then could we look for your house later to find you and Eos?" Thalia asked. "What's to stop us from doing that?"

The giant man chuckled softly as if she said something amusing. "Around here, you won't find _anything_ if you _look_ for it." Offering no other explanation than that.

He made to turn around but Percy stopped him. "One last question, Leonidas."

"Yes?"

"Why did you go to New Rome?"

"I am not surprised you found out." He admitted. "I trust that the Praetors told you?" Percy nodded. "Then you would know that I did not harm a single Roman. I only traveled there to speak with their Augur to gain insight on the Promised Day. For the first time in my life… my Fate, my destiny, _my duty_ isn't clear to me… I don't know _what_ I'm supposed to do… and it _scares_ me."

Percy was about to open his mouth when Leonidas looked back to the bushes and nodded. "I'm coming, my love. I'll be there in a second." He faced Percy again and said, "For now, this is farewell, brother. We may not be true allies, but know this; if you- _if the world_ needs me, I'll be there." With that he stepped through a shimmering bush and out of sight. Percy not even being able to sense him anywhere around him.

 **oooOooo**

 **(Please answer the QOTD below)**

 **oooOooo**

 **(Later)**

"I've brought the ginger root, love." Leonidas announced as he made his way into their small, white stone cottage. He slowly made his way to the small kitchen where he found her making food from scratch because she was no longer able to summon it into existence. She was so weak these days that she had to live her life as a mortal instead as a formerly powerful Titaness.

"I thought I told you to get some rest?" He asked as he carefully took the knife from her hand as she cut vegetables. "Let me finish dinner, _please_. _You_ get some rest."

She smiled as she let him direct her to the large couch. "I'm _fine_ , Leonidas. I've _only_ been resting the last few weeks. I'm going stir-crazy from being cooped up for so long."

"I _know_ , Eos, but rest is the best thing for you right now. The Golden Fleece can only help us so far. We've barely used it on ourselves and your body is growing weaker by the day."

She pulled him to sit next to her and ran her rosy fingers over his sunken face, recalling how he looked in his prime. "As do _you_ , my love. It is a true miracle that you can _even_ stand and walk around right now. _Let alone_ tend the garden and patrol the park." She lightly dragged her fingers across his skin. "You are _so weak_ now. You've lost _so much_ weight in only a few weeks, it _isn't_ healthy."

He gave her a smile and pulled her in close. "I'll survive, Eos." He whispered. "I have you two."

"I hope so," Eos mused. "She _needs_ you, Leonidas. She is growing more everyday and with you gone for the last few months she doesn't know who you are."

The trembling man let out a breath. "I know, I know. And that's why I promise that I'm staying home until the Promised Day. I just have to do one thing first."

Eos nodded like she wasn't happy, letting air out of her nose. "Just be careful, alright? _This_ opponent won't go down so easy. I mean, he's-"

"I _know_ who he is," He told her, taking her small hand in his. "I've been preparing to do this for most of my life. The Fates have _willed_ this to happen, I could not choose otherwise even if I wanted to."

"Would you?" She asked softly. "Would you go against what you must do? Would you _not_ fight him?"

"If I had my way?"

She nodded weakly. "Yes."

"Then of course." He answered slowly. "I _don't wish_ to kill him, truly, but it has been foretold in a Prophecy. And you _cannot_ fight fate." Eos bit her lower lip and Leonidas could sense she was uneasy so he changed topics.

"How is she? I don't see her out here, so I trust she's asleep?"

Eos nodded, looking off to the far door painted a pastel pink color. "Yes, she's asleep. Her shakes have become less common and destructive with the help of the Golden Fleece, but they _still_ take a lot out of her." The beautiful Titaness let out a breath as she looked towards the door and everything she held dear in the world. "Let us pray that she will be fully healthy soon, so that she can survive being granted with Immortality when you steal two Golden Apples."

Leonidas nodded solemnly. "Yes, but that fight is going to be the hardest one I've _ever_ fought. As well as the last."

A smile washed over her face. "I _cannot_ wait for such a day when you will no longer bleed on my carpet." She smiled and he felt himself smiling as well before following her eyes to the door.

"I haven't had the chance to see her today, I'll sneak in and see her." He slowly rose from the couch as Eos softly took his hand.

"I _just_ got her to sleep, Leonidas." She warned with playfully narrowed eyes. "If you wake her _you'll_ have to stay up with her until she falls back to sleep."

He gently rubbed her knuckles before letting her hand go and making his way to the pink door. "I know I know, don't worry, I'll be quiet." He said in a hushed whisper before silently making his way in.

He stalked ever silent to a small, wooden crib painted a soft pink in front of a beautiful mural of a sunrise on the wall. Leonidas couldn't help himself from smiling as he looked down and his eyes fell on the form of a beautiful baby girl sleeping peacefully under the healing aura of the Golden Fleece.

Her pinkish-blonde hair and small, undeveloped feathery angel wings and faint, shimmering aura identified her as clearly something other than an ordinary human child as well as the child of Eos.

She was _so_ small and weak, barely able to breath as she slept and extremely underdeveloped for her age. It made him worried whenever she slipped off into the realm of Hypnos that she may never return. He only prayed that even if he and Eos didn't survive past the Promised Day, that she, his beautiful girl, so filled with promise and potential, could survive.

With slow, shaking hands, Leonidas ever so gently brushed her hair from her face. Wishing now more than ever that his useless hands could feel the warmth of her skin.

"Sleep well, child." His words just over a whisper, barely even audible. "I pray to the Fates to protect you." He paused slightly when she moved in her sleep and recovered her with the Golden Fleece. "Sleep well, my lovely Astraea."

* * *

(Author's Note)

Ha! I had you all fooled when I asked for those names! Didn't I? You all thought it was for Percy and Annabeth's kid, whom, won't be revealed until the end, sorry. But nope, it was for Leonidas and Eos' kid! She's 10 months old right now, btw. But as for Annabeth we'll have to wait a little bit since the Promised Day is in like 2 weeks and she's only a few months pregnant, we have to skip a good amount of time. Thanks to everyone who voted on their favorite names!

I'm sorry AGAIN for the huge delay in between chapters. But I'm wanting to wrap the story up next month before the 18th, my 3yr anniversary on FF. *whispers* Something _special_ might be coming out to celebrate, hint hint, wink wink.

It's like 3am and I gotta do like half a days worth of yard work at my grandpa's house, so I should try to get some sleep. Don't have an idea when ch17 will release, but I'll try to get it out in the next few days. It'll be interesting at least.

 **Fun Fact:** I totally forgot this until recently, but Astraea, the name of Leonidas and Eos' daughter, is not only a virgin goddess but also Eos' daughter in Greek myth. I totally forgot that when I first researched Eos before this story and when I randomly came across the name Astraea looking up ideas for their daughter's name. So while they have the same name, they're NOT the same person. I've changed Eos' history a little, at least the end.

 **Question of the day:** 'How do you guys like the recaps?' A few people asked for them so I started doing them a while ago, but do you want them to be longer and have more detail from previous chapters or are they fine to stay as they are?

 **Another Question of the day:** I like to make playlists for main characters I write, specifically ones I create. I recently made one that LOVES Nightcore with a burning passion, so I need some good recommendations. Female vocals and sassy/diva/badass girl songs are her favorite. But she also listens to more depressing songs alone at night. Feel free to try to figure out who I'm talking about from that basic and nondescript information!

 **Bonus Repeat Question of the day:** Any American Football, Wrestlers or Lacrosse players out there? I need some help with a future project I'm starting up(It's only in the early ideas phase and won't be announced for some time! I'm excited though!). I'm creating a female character that plays girl's lacrosse but is also on the boy's football and wrestling team and I'm trying to figure out the best position for her to play in football and lacrosse. I was a band geek in HS so I've never done these sports so I don't know what position she should play. Any ideas? Let me know. I know that when girls play football in fiction they are usually the Quarterback, but her personality, size and skills better lend themselves to a defensive/offensive position in my mind. But here's some background: she's _very_ tall, 6'5"+ and about 160lbs+ at ~16 y/o and _very_ muscular and fit. Think Clarisse or Mika in terms of size and build. Oh, and she's _not exactly human_ , so she's faster, stronger and tougher than the normal person. I was thinking of having her be an Offensive Guard in football due to her height, weight, build, strength and bursts of speed but don't know which position would suit her best, let me know. I was getting a sort of Larry Allen Sr vibe when coming up with ideas for how she plays if you know who that is(he's her idol in the story, btw). Feel free to Review or PM me and I'll give you some more info on her, or at least as much as I can without telling you what story she's a part of and the plot. Thanks for any help on this, and yes, we'll see her in a future story but I can't say what it is yet. Man am I excited for it. (Thanks to parafron for already giving me some feedback!)

 **Next Time:** 'Something About Him'


	26. Ch 17: The Clash of Lions

(Uploaded: 9/29/19)

Chapter 17: The Clash of Lions

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! I'm back again! This was EXTREMELY hard to write for reasons you'll see. Normally I say more but after reading what I wrote I don't feel like it. So, I hope you… 'enjoy' this chapter.

Fyi, the recap was cut down for a reason. I liked this opening better. Full recaps will return next time!

* * *

Chapter 17: The Clash of Lions

 **The Prophecy:**

"Olympus beware the Mortal of Might

The heir shall strike War and Love in the night

A long forgotten foe shall rise, an Angel and Lion in disguise

The Mount shall fall and the Sky will rise

The Son shall follow the fate of those before

And slay his father at the door"

x ~ x ~ x ~ x ~ x

"The _bravest_ are surely those who have

the clearest vision of what is before them,

 _glory_ and _danger_ alike, and yet notwithstanding

go out to _meet it_."

~ Thucydides

 _[_ _ **Recap:**_ " _Would you?" She asked softly. "Would you go against what you must do? Would you_ _ **not**_ _fight him?"_

" _If I had my way?"_

 _She nodded weakly. "Yes."_

" _Then of course." He answered slowly. "I_ _ **don't**_ _wish to kill him, truly, but it has been foretold in a Prophecy. And you_ _ **cannot**_ _fight fate."]_

 **(June/15/2011 - The Strait of Gibraltar)**

 **~Seven days later~**

A figure of immense height and height landed on the beach, the soft sand parted under him. He was adorned in the Nemean Lion Skin Cloak, Spartan armor and had the Golden Fleece tied around his bare chest. With a shaking breath, it walked towards the center of the island to were the Pillars were.

After walking for some time, the figure silently stopped when he came face to face with a towering muscular man in a royal purple toga.

"Hello, Leonidas." The man in purple said slowly. "I had wished for _years_ to _finally_ meet you, but I must say that I didn't wish to meet like _this_."

"Heracles." Was Leonids' only words at seeing his father for the first time.

Heracles' face dropped slightly. "You call me by my name? Not father?"

"My father was a kind farmer from Kansas that died because of me." Leonidas told him as he kept his face neutral. "Why would I call a man who I have never met 'father'?"

Heracles' reply was delayed. "...I can understand that, son." He looked to Leonidas with pained eyes. "I can also understand the pain I have caused you, but you should know, what you plan to do, I _can't_ let you."

Leonidas' brow rose. "You know?"

"That you plan to kill me then attack Olympus in an attempt to destroy the Thrones and kill _all_ the gods on it?" He asked slowly. "Yes. Hebe has been keeping me informed about you since she learned of you."

Leonidas clenched his fist. "Then you know _why_ I must."

"Because you _believe_ that doing so will save the world."

Leonidas shook his head. "No, I _know_ that destroying Olympus will save the world! If not, then the Fates would not have Weaved the Tapestry of Fate so!" He let out a calming breath through his nose. " _Everything_ happens for a reason. Be it the destruction of Olympus or my mother's death."

Heracles let out a low growl under his breath, his eyes narrowed. " _That_ wasn't my fault, Leonidas. I wanted more than _anything_ to go down there to save her… but Zeus _wouldn't let me_." He slowly lifted his hand to point at the stone Pillars behind him. "Those two slabs of rock are my _shackles_. They are what keep me a prisoner on this island in the middle of this gods-forsaken sea. As long as _they_ stand, I am _trapped_ here. And as long as _I_ stand, I must _protect_ them."

"...Tell me, did you love her?"

Heracles' answer was instantaneous. "Of course."

"..."

The god studied Leonidas' face, noticing the confliction on it. "You were wishing that I said no, didn't you? So that you had more reason to kill me?"

"The _only_ reason why I wish to kill you now is because of the Prophecy." He told his father, not making eye contact. "The hate and anger I once held for you is gone. Now, all I feel is a need to achieve my Fate. And right now, that means killing you."

Heracles let out a long, deep breath as he watched his son. "What if you're wrong?" He asked suddenly. "What if you're wrong about being able to change your Fate?"

"I'm not-"

"But _what if_ you are?"

Leonidas let out a slow breath as he placed his hand on his tattoo, summoning his hammer. "I _can't_ be wrong… Because if I am… then my entire life would be for not. I would have _no purpose_."

He let the head of his hammer hit the soft sand with a solid 'THUD'. Seeing this, Heracles summoned his mighty club and took a more defensive stance. "Don't make me do this, son." Heracles begged as his son moved into his stance. "You _know_ who I am. What I've achieved. I'm the _strongest being on earth_. If you fight me… I'll _have_ to fight in defense of Olympus. _Don't_ make me hurt you, Leonidas."

"I'm sorry, Heracles. It is _true_ that I have cursed your name in the _past_ , but I have _long_ since moved beyond seeking your approval or love. If it were up to _me…_ I _wouldn't_ be here, but it is as the Fates decree, I _must_ kill you. So it says in the Prophecy, so it _must_ be done." He briefly paused to look his father in the eye for the first time in his life but quickly tore them away as he realized it was like looking in a mirror. "...As a father myself, I _feel your pain_. It is a shame she will never meet you. I would _never_ wish for my Astraea to have to strike me down, but it _isn't up to me_ … I am _truly_ sorry." With that last word he dashed towards his father, driving his mighty warhammer into the gods' cheek and sending him flying into a large boulder.

'CrrrBOOOM!'

The god let out a groan of pain as Leonidas drove him deeper and deeper into the ground as he attacked him over and over with his hammer.

'BAM!' 'BAM!' 'BAM!'

"Raah!" Leonidas cried out as Heracles brought his large fist into his stomach, sending the demigod stumbling back. Heracles quickly jumped to action and grabbed Leonidas by the arm, spun on the spot and slammed him into the large stones lining the beach.

'CrrrBAAAAM!'

As Leonidas shakily rose to his feet, his father summoned his mighty club to his hand and with strength that could level mountains, drove the godly weapon into his face! Crimson liquid sprayed from Leonidas' dislocated and unmoving jaw like a nozzle, but Heracles could see that the Golden Fleece, combined with Leonidas' superior healing factor, was already healing some of the damage done. His remarkable self healing combined with his godly strength and durability, the Golden Fleece and the Nemean Lion Skin Cloak made him _more than_ a match for the God of Strength and Bravery.

Without wasting a second, Heracles slammed the club into Leonidas' head and drove it deeper into a large boulder that was crumbling under the consecutive attacks. Leonidas tried to dodge the fourth hit but his father was faster and brought his club low and struck it against the side of his knee, causing his son to drop to one knee in excruciating pain.

"Gaaah!" The demigod roared out in pain as his knee snapped under him.

Leonidas let out a few enraged pants before starting to rise, only to have his father throw his club at him, sending him flying back several meters until he slammed into one of the Pillars bearing his father's name. Leonidas fell to the ground in front of the Pillar as Heracles raced to him, summoning his mighty club as he ran. He was only a second away before Leonidas reached back, grabbed the crumbling Pillar and threw it overhead at his father like a ballistic missile.

Heracles brought back his club and easily destroyed the Pillar with one strike without losing speed and went to swing it back around for another attack only for Leonidas to leap through the flying debris, grab his face in his large hand and slam him to the ground with enough force to shake _Hades_ below them.

'BOOOOOMMM!'

Leonidas quickly slammed his father's head into the ground twice more before lifting him by the face and sending him flying back with a shattering punch from his left hand. Heracles roughly landed several dozen meters away and before he could catch his breath Leonidas dropped down on him with his hammer and drove him several feet into the dirt.

He then lifted his father and continued to punch him further and further back. "I want you to know, father, that I act on the will of the Fates. The Tapestry of Fate itself _demands_ that one of us die today... You have my sympathy... Because it will _NOT. BE. ME!_ "

With a powerful punch he launched his father back and followed up by driving his shoulder into him. Heracles hit the earth, causing it to tremble as if Atlas dropped the sky. As his father laid beaten on the ground Leonidas hit him again.

"Yield!" Leonidas ordered with a shout as he stood over his father, his hammer pointed at his head, his large foot on his panting chest. "For _your_ sake! With the Promised Day so close you are _no match for me!_ _I. AM. STRENGTH!_ I _don't_ want to-"

"For the sake of Olympus I _shall not yield!_ " His father cut him off, quickly rolling to the side and punching his son a few paces away. "You _may be my son_ , but I am the Gatekeeper of Olympus! I yield to _no_ mortal or god!" He quickly thrust his mighty club into the sky and the heavens tore apart as if Ouranos had struck the earth. The winds howled, lightning summoned from Zeus himself danced in the sky like wild horses, rain pelted the land, the sea crashed against the shore and the very earth below them shook as if a thousand war drums were beating in perfect sync.

"If you wish to destroy _Olympus_ than you must destroy _me first!_ " The god let out a raging cry to the heavens as the sky crackled with lightning and energy. For the briefest of seconds his battle-focused glare disappeared, replaced by sadness and shame as he slowly lowered his mighty club to point at his son. "I'm sorry, Sara."

Then the look was gone the next second as the club was aimed right at Leonidas' chest. Lord Heracles suddenly shouted for all the heavens to hear!

" _FOR ZEUS! FOR_ _ **OLYMPUS**_ _!_ "

At that moment all the lightning and energy collected in the heavens bore down at Leonidas like a laser beam from Chaos herself, engulfing and quickly destroying all his surroundings.

"GrrrAAAAAHHH!" Leonidas let out a pain-filled cry as he felt like he was standing on the very surface of the sun. Every molecule, every atom, _his very soul_ , felt like they were on fire. He could feel his bullet-proof skin melting and charring from the heat, the pain as the _very liquid_ in his eyes boiled as he lost his sight, the roaring then deafening waves of energy that _ruptured_ his eardrums after a few seconds, the sheer mind-numbing agony as he felt the _very bones_ in his body almost _liquify_ from the assault, the stench of his burning hair and skin.

It was _by far_ the most pain he had _ever_ experienced. As well as the closest he had ever been to death.

But he _couldn't_ die now.

 _Too many_ people were counting on him…

The _only_ two people he cared for on this earth would _die_ if he fell to his father…

...So he simply did what he had done _everyday_ of his life for the past few years, he fought past the pain and instead focussed his mind on his goal: A life with his family among the stars.

Truly, his _mind_ was _willing_ to fight…

...But his _body_ was _finally_ at its limits.

The dust and debris settled after some time. The very earth stumbling from the blow. Heracles, drained from using the very last of his power, forced himself to his feet and immediately looked for his son among the rubble with the _hope_ that his son survived, but what he found… made him wish that his son _hadn't_ survived his final gambit.

A red and black, charred and smoking corpse of a figure stood on now thin legs among the shattered and torn earth. It's blackened flesh oozed thick, darkened blood and foul liquid as the light wind blew some of it's charred flesh away. It's once bright amber eyes were nothing but hollow pits that were as dark as voids. It's perfect teeth were reduced to melted stubs. It's lips and upper layer of skin completely melted off. It's once hair-covered head was bald and misshapen, parts of the skull were visible where flesh used to be. It's nose was just a cavity and all of it's armor and clothes besides the Golden Fleece and Nemean Lion Skin had been burned away with the power of a thousand suns. It's once heavily muscled chest was torn open like a tree struck by lightning and it's internal organs were visible but mostly unharmed.

The figure standing before him was _not_ his son, but a lifeless _husk of a body_ from the pits of _Hades_ itself. It was at this moment that it hit him.

 _What had he done?_

Heracles wordlessly dropped his mighty club and ever so slowly at first crept to his son before quickly picking up speed and running at full pace to the unmoving body just as it's legs gave out from under it. He carefully caught his son and as gently as possible brought his charred body to his and embraced him for the first time.

"GAAAH!" Heracles let out a trembling cry to the heavens as the realization kicked in.

 _He had killed his son._

"No no no!" He cried into his sons' blackened shoulder. "Fates no! _Why?!_ I- I didn't wish to-"

Heracles could only hold his sons' still form as he let out screams that shook the ground that soon turned into sobs. "Oh Sara, _what have I done?_ Our boy… I _killed him_."

The god of Strength used the gentlest embrace he could as he held his son for an unknown number of minutes after the attack. He was sobbing so loudly that he almost missed the slightest sound of an intake of breath.

*Gasp*

Heracles quickly pulled back to face his son and what faced him back brought the breath back to his lungs. Leonidas' charred, black and red flesh and exposed muscle was rapidly healing. Fresh, pale skin was quickly spreading over his body like a swarm of fire ants. His bones were quickly reforming. His deformed facial features were regrowing before his very eyes.

 _His son was coming back to life!_

* "M-my son! You're alive!" A weak smile quickly formed on Heracles' face as he watched his son struggle back from death. "I- I _knew_ you couldn't- T-this is a _sign_ from the Fates themselves! You were _not_ destined to die this day! That _must_ be why Thanatos didn't come to collect your soul!" His weak smile grew wider as his sobs were replaced by relieved laughter. "This- this is _wondrous!_ I could not live with myself if I killed you!"

*Gasp* *Gasp* … *Gasp*... Leonidas' slow, shallow gasps became more frequent and drawn out as his reforming lungs struggled to fill with air despite a few holes still in his chest. His throat gurgled as his tongue and vocal cords regrew. His entire body shook as new muscle and nerves intertwined with what remained of his destroyed ones. His bare skull became covered with flesh and then later hair as the last of his his superhuman healing factor aided by the Golden Fleece worked doubletime to revive him.

Without warning Leonidas stumbled forwards and his father made sure to catch him, amazed, awed and _no doubt_ happy that his son was alive again before his very eyes. That is, until the demigod suddenly grabbed his forearm and with one quick motion snapped it like a twig.

"GAAAHHH!"

Heracles let out a high cry as Leonidas grabbed him by his shoulders and slammed his head into his father's, disorentating the god long enough for him to pull back his hands as his warhammer appeared in them and upon impact launched the god like a cannonball into and _through_ several large smoldering boulders and petrified trees.

'BAAAMMM!'

Without warning Leonidas leapt after his father and delivered and powerful stomp onto his father's chest and he landed with the force of a falling freight train.

"Son- son _stop-_ " Heracles _tried_ to put up his good arm to block the flurry of attacks but he was easily overwhelmed by the sheer amount of rage and fury Leonidas was emanating. His son bellowed like a beast of the night as he thrashed down on his father with the savage brutality of a cornered, starved and rabid animal.

" _Please-_ " But Leonidas only kept up the assault by lifting his father up by his bloody and torn royal purple toga before sending him flying back with a powerful, bone-shattering punch. Leonidas' shimmering amber eyes were bloodshot as he bellowed like a beast.

"HrrrrRAAAHHH!" His low cry shook the very ground beneath his feat.

"RrrraaaaAAAHHH!" Leonidas jumped forwards, grabbed the side of his father's head and began to pound into it over and over with his other fist.

'BAM!' 'BAM!' 'BAM!' Each blow had enough power to shatter entire islands and each devastating punch tore apart the heavens as if Zeus were casting down his lightning.

"Leo- Leonidas… _PLEASE!_ " Heracles was trying in vain to beg for his son to stop as he tried to push him away. " _I YIELD!_ "

'BAM!' 'BAM!' 'BAM!'

"I _said I YIELD!"_ But Leonidas didn't stop, he only continued to drive his bloodied fist into his father's misshapen face as he let loose feral cries. "S-stop! _Please!_

"RrrrAAAGGGHHHH!" Bloodied spit flew from Leonidas' mouth as he bore down on his father with the force to level the island under them.

"Leonidas! *punch* Please! *punch* _SON!_ "

Heracles' vision was blurry and faded and his body no longer obeyed him. He _tried_ to force his son off of him, but he could sense it. He was dying.

Leonidas let out another cry as he lifted his dripping fist over his father's unmoving face but was suddenly blasted away with a beam of energy from behind.

"GAAAH!" Leonidas hit the broken earth like a brick but wasted no time climbing to his feet in his rage, his clever mind now gone to his wrath.

"Husband!" Lady Hebe appeared by her husband as he tried to force himself to his feet. "Stop moving!" She ordered as she embraced him and hastily began healing him. "You are _dying_! If you push yourself anymore you _will die!_ "

"You were _foolish_ to come here, Hebe!" Heracles shouted to his wife as he moved his focus to his son as he quickly made his way to them. "He'll kill you too!"

"GrrrAAAAAHHH!" Leonidas barreled at them like an out of control train, violently swinging at anything, smoldering rock or charred tree, that got in his way.

"I _could not_ leave you to be killed my love!" She shouted to him as she sent another weak blast of energy at Leonidas that only slowed him down for a moment. "Let us leave! I'm sure mother and father will grant you permission to leave this place! Come on!"

"No!" Heracles pulled his shoulder free of her grip, grabbed her around the middle and jumped away at the last second as Leonidas brought his fist down on the shattered ground.

As soon as they landed Heracles jumped again. It wasn't until they could no longer see his son did he stop. "Gah!" Heracles dropped to the ground in immense pain. Hebe cautiously watched the distance they came from as she began to heal him once again.

" _Why_ is Leonidas trying to kill you so? Why do you not yield and call upon father?"

"I _can't!_ " He told her in between bloody coughs. " _Even if_ I call father to request his aid, he is _too weak_ right now! I cannot risk it! If Leonidas were to face father in one on one combat I have _no doubt_ father would die!"

Hebe let out a surprised gasp. "Then Leonidas is _that_ strong?" Her husband nodded gravely. "Then let me _flash_ you back to Olympus! Apollo and Asclepius can heal you there!"

"No!" Heracles yelled back as he tried to once again rise to his feet. "I _cannot_ leave the Pillars. My life is tied to them like yours is to the Fountain. If I don't protect it then he can _easily_ kill me!"

Hebe bit her lower lip as she heard Leonidas' bellows sound over the horizon. "Then _why_ hasn't he already? Why chase you down instead of easily destroying the pillars?"

"B-because he isn't _thinking_ right now." He explained. "My Fatal Flaw of Wrath… _must_ have been passed to him. It is as I feared, I _cannot_ hope to defeat him, Hebe. _Not_ alone. And I _cannot_ risk your life. His- my _son's_ strength and skill rival my own now… but his Wrath is quickly consuming his soul. And soon, he will lose himself to it. And if that were to happen…" He paused briefly to face his son as he burst through a boulder a few dozen paces in front of them, screaming in rage. "Then he will be lost to his Wrath _forever_." He clenched his fist as he shielded Hebe's body behind his own. "I will _not_ allow you to die, Hebe. Flee this place! Flee to our father and have him and our uncles _destroy this island!_ Erase it from the earth itself! That is the _only_ way to stop him now!"

"GrrrAAAAAHHH!"

Hebe tried in vain to pull him away. "No! You cannot-" But she was cut off when Heracles countered Leonidas' fist with his own. The shockwave alone knocked her to his feet. "AAAH!"

The Lord of Strength and the Prince of Power clashed with more than enough force to send shockwaves of earth and stone as their mighty blows landed. Leonidas attacked with a wild ferocity as Heracles was forced to stay defensive.

"GrrrAAAAAHHH!"

Leonidas continued to pound into his father with a never-ending barrage of powerful punches. Heracles shielded himself with one hand as he kept his over around Hebe as she shrieked in fear.

The two Lions of Olympus violently clashed as radiant waves of energy rolled off of their bodies. Heracles let out one last yell as he brought back his shattered arm in preparation to unleash the last of his strength, "I'm sorry Leonidas!" as he brought his fist to his son's face.

The Mortal of Might stumbled back from the blow, his neck bent back at an odd angle. Buying Heracles just enough time to jump away again so he grabbed his wife around the middle and went to flee but at the last moment found his legs useless.

"No!" He cursed the Fates and prepared to face his son again but was met with a fist to his broken face.

'BAM!'

The Divine Protector of Mankind's body fell back to the earth with a heavy 'THUD'. Hebe let out a terrified cry as her husband fell before her eyes. "HERACLES!" She latched onto his large shoulder as Leonidas aggressively stepped up to them, his bloody fist brought back to strike him again despite him being defeated.

"Leonidas! Leonidas _please_! _STOP!_ " She raised her arm to blast him with energy but instead let out a cry why he gripped her forearm, snapped it like a twig and tossed her roughly to the side. "GAHHH!"

Leonidas immediately began pounding his father's unmoving body into the ground. Not even aware that his foe was defeated. "GrrrAAAAAHHH!" Leonidas brought his shattered fist back again to finish off his opponent.

" _ **STOP!**_ " The goddess used the last of her energy to jump in front of the punch and held out her broken arm to protect herself and Heracles. She braced herself for death, but felt nothing. With a shaking breath, she opened one eye and what met her stole the breath from her lungs.

Leonidas' mighty fist was one inch from her nose. So close that she could feel the heat and rage coming from his body. She opened the other eye and they fell upon his. Leonidas' once bloodshot and furry-filled eyes softened to their normal amber hue. His screaming face softened as his fist fell beside him. She could _literally see_ his mind come back to him.

"W-what have I done?" His voice was hoarse and broken from his screaming, but it was the first words he had spoken since his rage started. He suddenly stumbled backwards as if his legs couldn't hold his weight and he fell to his backside.

Leonidas looked to the dying man in front of him and the reality of what he had done in his state hit him. " _Father…_ No..." The Prince of Olympus quickly crawled to his father and carefully cupped his broken and bloodied jaw. "No no no… I- I didn't mean to…"

Hebe dropped next to them and immediately began healing her husband. "Oh Fates above, I did not believe that you would break free, Leonidas." She spared a moment to look at him. "Your Wrath… is greater than even Menoetius or Lyssa's, the _embodiments_ of Anger and Rage. Your curse… is _unimaginable_. H-how do you contain it so?"

Leonidas' face dropped as he remembered the face of the child whose mother he killed in his rage. "I… _can't_. It's my Fatal Flaw… there's _no_ fighting it. It must be broken." He let out a shaky breath as he forced himself to his feet despite his pain. All the damage he had taken in and before his rage just now coming to him. Once he was standing he lightly took Hebe's shoulder, gaining her attention.

"...But like my Flaw, you _cannot_ fight Fate or the Prophecy. He _must_ die. I am sorry."

"No!" She cried as tears washed down her face, unable to fight against his strength as he pulled her away from Heracles. "T-there _must_ be a way!"

Leonidas slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there isn't." He carefully pushed her back a little. " _Go_. Head back to Olympus and tell that what has happened. Tell them… tell them that their fears are _true_. I _will_ be attacking it on the Promised Day." He bit his lip in frustration. "I am _sorry_ , but I _cannot_ fight Fate. The Fates _wish_ me to attack Olympus on the Promised Day, they _need_ me to do so! Because if they _didn't…_ if they didn't then they would have had let me die today! Or at one of the dozens of times in my life where I was on the brink of death."

He faced Hebe, looking right into her watery eyes. " _This_ … is my _destiny_. My _Fate_. I _must_ kill my father. I _must_ attack Olympus. I _must_ kill Zeus and destroy the Thrones so that a new age can begin! I don't _want to_ , but I _must!_ _Everything_ that happens, happens for a _reason_. The _only_ reason why I am alive today is because the Fates _need_ me alive. The Tapestry of Fate _wills_ it so!"

Leonidas clenched his fists as he screamed to the sky. "Hear me Fates! Chaos! Why must you torture me so?! Why must I be forced to kill my father and _thousands_ of gods?! I _know_ I must save humanity from the gods to usher in a new age, but there _must_ be another way! I am but your servant, so I _beg you_ … _Free me of this burden! This Labor!_ " He threw his bloodied hands into the air and cupped the silhouette of the sun. "I- I'll give up on my dream! I'll leave Eos and Astraea! I _swear it!_ Just free me from my Fate! Let them live!"

But the heavens were silent. As they always were when he cried to them.

Letting out a curse, Leonidas dropped his fists in defeat and turned back to Hebe. "Go, Hebe. You should not have to live with the pain of seeing the love of your life dead before you." He took a shaky step forward. "Go to your father and mother and tell them what has happened. Then, use your last days to spend with everyone you love. And finally…" His strong facade broke as their eyes met. "...Will you apologize to the gods for me? I am _so sorry_ , but I _must_ kill them."

Hebe broke out into a sob as she let him hug her for the first time. Leonidas silently wondering if this is what it would have felt like if he had been able to embrace his mother or Cheryl. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. "I now believe that there are innocent gods amongst you… but it does _not_ change Fate. I am _truly_ sorry." He let out one last long breath.

"I am but a man serving his Fate. Now, tell me, will you do this for me?"

~ x ~ x ~ x ~

With gentle hands, Leonidas lifted his father from the embrace of the earth and silently carried him to the Pillars. As he slowly limped, he apologized to his mother. Ashamed to have had to treat her love in such a way.

After some time, they made it to the Pillars of Heracles, the boundary of the Greek world and the symbol of the God of Strength's power. Leonidas gently leaned his father against a large, crumbled boulder a few paces from the still standing Pillar.

"...Father, I- I do not know what to say." He hung his head in shame to avoid his father's barely open eyes. He could hear his father's breath as he tried to speak, but he simply didn't possess the strength.

"There- there is _something_ you should know before…" He bit his lip, forcing back a sob. When he finally looked back to his father he found his dim eyes on him, breaking his will even more. "She- _mom_ … mom waited for you at your gazebo. She didn't give up on you."

It was slight, but Leonidas could see his father's eyes brighten ever so little. He didn't possess the ability to do so, but Leonidas believed that he would be smiling.

"I never realized it until now… But _she_ taught me what _true love_ really is. And that is why I am sorry for what I must do. You will reform after the Promised Day ends, but a murder is _still_ a murder." He tightly shut his eyes as he lifted the hammer his father had gifted him as a boy. "I'm sorry dad."

'CRASH!'

~ x ~ x ~ x ~

 **(Later)**

Camp was in shock when they received word from Lady Hebe and Olympus that Lord Heracles, the strongest god to _ever_ live, was dead.

The _entire_ Greek and Roman worlds were spinning at the news. This was the first time that a god, _an Olympian_ , was killed by a mortal in eons. It served as an uneasy wake up call for the campers and gods alike that Immortality _isn't_ forever. That the gods _could_ die. And that, if they didn't stop Leonidas or the Titans on the Promised Day… that the _entire_ Greek and Roman Pantheons would die.

Jason, the son of Jupiter and the step brother to Heracles, was the first to look to Percy after the gods left camp. They had been gathered at the amphitheater and not a single soul had moved since their appearance. "...Percy… w-what do we do?"

The son of Poseidon wordlessly took a step towards the crowd, finding almost a hundred pairs of shocked and unblinking eyes on him. After letting out a long breath, he spoke.

"The Promised Day is only six days away… We will do _whatever_ we have to in order to protect Olympus and the world. We _alone_ must do so." At his words a majority of the campers put their clawed fingers over their hearts in a gesture to ward off evil.

"Camp Half-Blood… let us prepare for war. Let us prepare for the end of the world."

* * *

(Author's Note)

This was… hard to write. Keeping the emotional and action-y balance was _extremely_ difficult. Hopefully I did alright. I wanted it to stay true to the man Leonidas has become. Hopefully you can see that. I don't doubt you guys have questions, so feel free as always to ask them.

The action doesn't stop next time either.

 **Question of the day:** 'What is your favorite Pantheon?' Meaning Greek, Roman, Norse etc.

 **Bonus Repeat Question of the day:** Any American Football, Wrestlers or Lacrosse players out there? I need some help with a future project I'm starting up(It's only in the early ideas phase and won't be announced for some time! I'm excited though!). I'm creating a female character that plays girl's lacrosse but is also on the boy's football and wrestling team and I'm trying to figure out the best position for her to play in football and lacrosse. I was a band geek in HS so I've never done these sports so I don't know what position she should play. Any ideas? Let me know. I know that when girls play football in fiction they are usually the Quarterback, but her personality, size and skills better lend themselves to a defensive/offensive position in my mind. But here's some background: she's _very_ tall, 6'5"+ and about 160lbs+ at ~16 y/o and _very_ muscular and fit. Think Clarisse or Mika in terms of size and build. Oh, and she's _not exactly human_ , so she's faster, stronger and tougher than the normal person. I was thinking of having her be an Offensive Guard in football due to her height, weight, build, strength and bursts of speed but don't know which position would suit her best, let me know. I was getting a sort of Larry Allen Sr vibe when coming up with ideas for how she plays if you know who that is(he's her idol in the story, btw). Feel free to Review or PM me and I'll give you some more info on her, or at least as much as I can without telling you what story she's a part of and the plot. Thanks for any help on this, and yes, we'll see her in a future story but I can't say what it is yet. Man am I excited for it. (Thanks to 'parafron' and 'BlueStreaksGreenWave' for already giving me some feedback!)

 **Next Time:** 'Three Wolves And One Lion'


	27. Ch 18: Three Wolves And One Lion

(Uploaded: Oct 27, 2019)

Chapter 18: Three Wolves And One Lion

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! Sorry again for the delay. Got a new job, well, same company but at a new, MUCH BIGGER building. It's also 4 more hours a day, so I haven't had much time to write as I would've liked. More money is good, but not at the cost of my writing time. Aaand that's a perfect segue to the question I have for you guys;

If I were to create a P-a-t-r-e-o-n(Pat-reon) account(FF doesn't let me say their name), would anyone pledge? I asked my followers on Twitter- _Follow me, btw_ \- where I gave some more info on my reasons for wanting to start one. In short, I've put a lot more money and time into my stories recently than I ever had before, and I want to do more like get a paid World Anvil membership account, maybe get Grammarly or another account and of course commission art for OC's. I recently got my first one and man, can they be expensive. I want to get commission art for more OC's as well.

But ultimately, I want writing to be my career. I've put off moving up at work for over a year in favor of having time to write, but recently I decided to move up. It's more money, but also four more hours a day. I want to be a published, full time author, but I need $$$ for that, A LOT of $$$. So I'm saving up money as we speak so I can one day move down to a 4hr position so I have more time to write. And then, I want to make writing my full time job. It'll be hard, extremely difficult and even stupid, but it's possible and it's what I want to do. So, I ask, if I were to make a P-a-t-r-e-o-n account, would anyone pledge? I'm not expecting much at all, most writers do this for free. But if you can pledge even a small amount it'll mean a lot. All the money I get will go directly to fund my writing/videos.

In case you're wondering what I'd do with the money, some of the things it'll go to are:

~ OC art commissions

~ Paid World Anvil account(possibly)

~ Editing software account

~ Savings to one day publish my first novel and quit my job

~ Buy video/audio equipment to start up that YT Channel I've been talking about forever

~ Upgrade my desktop/chromebook/writing equipment as needed

~ A real editor one day when I write my first novel

~ A publisher/any publishing fees when I publish my first novel

Well that was definitely more than I meant to write, sorry. But please let me know if you'd be able to pledge or just want more info. I won't create one until I know that people will pledge.

Oh yeah, I included a reference to character from a TV show I watch sometimes when it's on, see if you can spot him. This ISN'T a crossover, mind you, I just thought it'd be funny and cool. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. The end is upon us, these next three chapters are the final climax of the story. And _ohmygod_ I'm NOT ready!

* * *

Chapter 18: Three Wolves And One Lion

"The measure of a person, of a hero...

is how well they succeed at being who they are"

~ Queen Frigga

"What you leave behind is not what is

engraved in stone monuments,

but what is woven into the lives of others"

~ Pericles

 _[Recap: Lord Heracles, the god of Bravery, Strength and the Divine Protector of Mankind, has fallen at the hands of his son, Leonidas because of the demigod's beliefs that they were Fated to fight one another._

 _With the Promised Day here, Camp Half-Blood, New Rome and the Hunters of Artemis gather at the Empire StateBuilding to prevent the end of the world in a war to end all wars.]_

 **(June 21, 2011 - The Promised Day - Empire State Building)**

 **~ 6 days later ~**

The Promised Day, a day every few millennia in which _all_ the gods of the Greek and Roman worlds lose almost all of their power and for a few short hours, become _fully_ _mortal_ and are able to be killed. It not only brings potential danger to _all_ the gods, but brings with it the all too real possibility of weakening and lesser-known gods _Fading_ because of it.

Because of this, _all_ of the Monsters and Titans of the world assembled as one in order to attack, otherthrow and _destroy_ Mount Olympus and kill _all_ the gods on it. Camp Half-Blood had fought off an army of Monsters and even a few Titans during the battle of Manhattan two years ago, but they had _never_ faced something like _this_. Not on this scale.

So the roughly eighty able bodied campers, joined by the Hunters of Lady Artemis and the entirety of Camp Jupiter, assembled at the foot of the Empire State Building a few hours after dawn to prepare for what was going to be the hardest fight _ever fought_ in the history of mankind.

"I want those barricades up within the hour," Clarisse ordered as she watched the Hephaestus cabin drive wooden and metal spikes and walls into the concrete sidewalk around the famous building. "I don't care if ya have to tear up half the sidewalk! There won't _be_ a sidewalk if we lose today!"

The roughly four hundred teenagers and young adults were milling around the building preparing for war. They had received a few strange looks from passersby, no doubt because they were adorned in full Celestial Bronze or Imperial Gold and Tempered Steel armor carrying swords, war axes, spears, halbirds and a wide assortment of weapons. Percy personally believes that the tourists think that they were setting up a play or re-enactment of some kind. Some of them even took pictures of the younger campers in armor muttering to themselves that they were 'so cute'.

But the mortals weren't Percy's main concern right now. Sure, they still had _no idea_ how to get them all out of the way so they could defend against the incoming Monster and Titan army, but Percy had four hundred people to lead, he _didn't have time_ to concern himself with the mortals.

"Liam, Jack!" Percy called out to the demigods around him. "I want that trebuchet at the corner of the building now! And another one at each corner! Do it now!" He sucked a quick breath before yelling to the next group. "Steve, Sue, Lisa and Geoffry, I want small ballistas mounted every five yards! I _don't care_ if signs or street lamps are in the way! Tear them out!" He didn't even wait for confirmation before yelling again. "Mika, Astrid, Victoria! Collect as much scrap and trash you can and add it to the back barricade! Pile taxis on top of each other if you have to! We _need_ to defend Olympus and we need a strong final barricade for that!"

"...Were ya serious 'bout the taxis thing?" Mika asked as she pointed to a line of cabs along the far curb. "Cuz if ya _are…_ then _I will_. I've _always_ wanted ta' flip over a car."

Percy spared a quick moment to look at three of the four toughest girls at camp. "I'm _serious_. We don't have _time_ to worry about property damage, laws or scaring the mortals, we _need_ to prepare."

"On it, Perce." She gave a mock salute and the three girls ran over to the nearest cab, dodging traffic along the way, pulled the driver out of it, tossed him to the curb without explanation and promptly bent down and flipped the cab over on its roof in one quick motion. They then ran to the next cab and proceded to do the same.

"Awe, you let 'em flip over cabs without me?" Clarisse asked in mock hurt before turning serious. "I just finished settin' up the defenses down the block. We have the entire three block radius of Olympus stationed with demigods, ballistas and war-forklifts."

" _Only_ three?" Percy asked in disbelief. "That's not _nearly_ enough. In under an hour an _army_ of _thousands_ of Monsters and _dozens_ of Titans will be attacking the building, we _need_ more than three blocks secured."

"I'm doin' the best I can here, Prissy." She told him as she put on her boar tusk helmet. "If we didn't have ta' worry 'bout the civilians then we could _easily_ spread out more. But this is _New York_ , the people here aren't _exactly_ happy ta' have four hundred kids and teenagers walking around in armor, carrying weapons and blockin' traffic. I mean, we already had a few cops try to stop us from wheeling in the catapults."

Percy let out a breath, he could feel a headache coming on. "What did you tell them? What happened?"

She shrugged her large shoulders. "Told 'em ta' piss off 'o course, they didn't seem ta' like that though. Tried ta' give me a ticket but I sent 'em runnin' fer the hills."

Percy let out an exasperated sigh. "Can you _not_ give them _more_ reason to arrest us, please?"

She gave him a 'what did I do' shrug. "I thought you said _not_ ta' worry 'bout the cops and civilians."

"Yeah, I did, but I didn't mean to-" Percy stopped short when he noticed Ricky talking to several cops before directing them to where he and Clarisse stood. The cops quickly left the son of Apollo and made their way to Percy and Clarisse.

"Oh _great._ " Percy mumbled. " _Now_ you pissed them off. I already have a record, I _can't afford_ to get arrested right now."

Clarisse only shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Eh, we can take 'em."

"You'd get along _great_ with Artemis," Percy muttered. "You both like assaulting cops."

The taller officer spoke as soon as they were within range, he didn't look too impressed, mostly bored and confused. "Percy Jackson?" He asked looking correctly to Percy. He didn't wait for a reply before nodding to a black SUV pulling up. "Stay here. Someone wants to speak with you."

The two demigods watched the blacked out SUV park and as a few men in suits got out. Clarisse leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "If it's the President then I'm gonna rip off his 'effin-" But Percy nudged her with his elbow to cut her off.

"Shh." He ordered in a whisper. "Be _nice_."

"You ask too much of me, Prissy. I'm a violent girl at heart"

But the man getting out of the SUV _wasn't_ the President, or anyone Percy really knew. He looked a _little_ familiar, like he _may_ have seen him on TV, but Percy wasn't sure. He was tall, looked to be in his late sixties to early seventies, was dressed in a black suit and had a large black moustache that made him look like he'd fit in great as an actor in an old western movie. He also gave off the vibe that he was the kind of grandpa that sneaked his grandkids twenty bucks when their parents weren't looking just because he was nice. But he also had a sternness and aura around him that commanded respect and subtly displayed his power. Making Percy wonder more who, _or what_ , he really was.

He promptly walked up to the young adults, nodded for his officers to stand next to the car and once they did he offered his hand to Percy. "Police Commissioner Reagan." He greeted with a soft smile behind his large moustache. He shook Percy's hand then promptly shook Clarisse's. "But please, there's _no need_ for such formalities here, call me Frank."

Percy looked a little confused. "I'm sorry… but do I know you?"

The Commissioner smiled with his eyes before looking back to his officers that were waiting a few paces behind him. He leaned in a little and spoke with a lower voice. "Not _personally_ , but I know _you_ , Perseus Jackson, though mostly through story. Chiron won't shut up about you when we meet for monthly pinochle games."

Percy and Clarisse's eyes widened. "You know Chiron?" He asked, surprised. "How?"

"Well, it wasn't too long ago- or maybe it _was_ , I _am_ getting older, but I went to _Camp_ as a boy as well."

Clarisse spoke up this time. "You're a demi-" But she was cut off when the Commissioner raised his hand to silence her. He looked back at his officers with a cautious eye.

"Don't say that word here young lady, please." He turned back to them and made sure he was seeming natural for his officers. "Or any of _their_ names. Names have power, as I'm sure you know. But yes, I'm one of you. I'm a son of Lady Justice herself." He explained while being careful about his words. "The Council likes having a mortal like me in a position of authority and power around the Empire State Building. I help keep an eye on the comings and goings of the city and keep a watch for… _unusual_ happenings and keep such happenings out of the eyes of the people."

"You mean like us?" Percy asked, now understanding that he helped the gods hide the Greek world from the mortals. "You keep the mortals oblivious."

Frank's eyes smiled again. "Mortals _always_ see what they want to see."

"Then what do they see when they see us?" Clarisse asked.

"One of my officers reported that a rather large group of street performers was setting up around the ESB. While another claimed that a local elementary school was setting up for a play." He smiled again as he looked at a group of demigods drag a catapult arm down the sidewalk. "I told my officers that I do so enjoy children's plays, so I had to check it out for myself."

"You knew something was up just from that?" Percy asked.

"My boy, when you get to be my age you learn a few things about this city. How it works and when something is out of character, even for _this_ city. So when I heard a few hundred kids, teenagers and young adults were setting up around the building, I _knew_ something was up." He looked back to Percy and Clarisse with a more serious expression, the kind, warm and inviting aura around him gone, replaced by a cool chill that ran down Percy's spine. "So tell me, what's the situation?"

Percy didn't waste a second to switch minds and become hyper-focused on the situation. "A large group of Monsters and Titans are assembling outside of the city with the intent to attack the ESB and kill the Council. They will completely _decimate_ the city to do so if we don't stop them."

The Commissioner's eyes widened a little but other than that he didn't show any emotion. "Timeline?" He asked just as seriously, his square jaw set tight. "How long do we have to prepare?"

"My scouts say that they're about an hour out, give or take. Let's _hope_ that they decide to wait for exactly noon instead of attacking early."

The Commissioner nodded. "How are our defenses? How many soldiers do you have?"

Percy pointed down the sidewalk to a line of ballistas. "We have small ballistas lined up every couple of yards along the building. With high-range catapults fixed to each corner." He then pointed to where Mika, Astrid and Victoria were still flipping over and stacking taxis next to a few confused and concerned looking cops that were looking to their Commissioner wondering why he hadn't put a stop to this yet.

"We're also setting up a blockade around the perimeter of the building. We're also _trying_ to set up another larger one three blocks out, but the civilians and cops keep getting in the way."

The Commissioner nodded seriously before rising to his full imposing height. "I'll keep them out of your way. I'll buy all the time and space I can. I'm here to protect the city like you're here to protect Olympus. _No matter_ the cost, we _cannot_ afford to let the mortals discover the Greek world. _You_ focus on preparing for the upcoming battle, _I'll_ take care of the city." He then looked back to one of his officers and surprised Percy with his barking shout. "Word's come down from upstairs, Lieutenant Falman! Put the word out to all units, evacuate the city! Priority one!"

The bored looking officer sobered immediately. "W-what?" He asked as he ran up to them.

"I said evacuate the city, Lieutenant! The city is going to be under attack!" The Commissioner repeated with a commanding tone, all of the officers around him straightening their backs and looking at him with awe. Even Percy felt the urge to follow his order, perhaps it was one of his half-blood abilities? "Get the Mayor on the phone! I want a thirty block deadzone around the Empire State Building! Begin evacuating the schools and hospitals first, then get the civilians out!"

Falman nodded sharply but still looked confused as he inspected Percy and Clarisse. "Yessir. But _who_ are these two-"

The Commissioner subtly waved his hand and Percy could sense the Mist being manipulated around them. "Top agents from the CIA." He quickly lied. "Are you going to play twenty questions or are you going to follow my orders and evacuate the city? We have received intelligence that a terrorist organization is going to attack the city within the hour and is targeting the Empire State Building! Now _go!_ We don't have time to waste!"

That was all it took for the officer to nod before running off to his patrol car and taking off down the busy street, his lights flashing. The last remaining man in a suit looked to the Commissioner. "Shouldn't we contact the National Guard and the White House, Frank? If this is as big as you make it sound then shouldn't we have all the backup we can get?"

The Commissioner looked from the man to Percy and Clarisse, a stony expression of determination on his mustachioed face. "We have _all_ the backup we could ever need right here. Let's just pray that it's enough."

"But Frank-" The man began but was cut off.

"I'll call in a few favors, see if I can get some of my _old friends_ to lend us a hand." He said the last part while looking to Percy, making the Son of Poseidon wonder who he meant. "Being old has its privileges, at a certain point you know everybody."

After that the Commissioner stepped aside to make about twenty different calls in order to evacuate the city and was _somehow_ able to have the military arrive within twenty minutes to form a perimeter around the section of the city. Percy didn't know _who_ he called to do that, the Commissioner just told him that he had friends in high places. Percy wasn't going to argue with it either, he just made his job a little easier.

After he was off the phone, the Commissioner joined Percy, Clarisse, Frank, Reyna and Thalia along with the rest of the War Council in the command tent. The demigods looked a little confused when the older man entered, but when Percy told them he was one of them they welcomed him easily. Demigods _always_ stand together after all. No matter who your parent was, if you have the divine blood, _any_ demigod would move Olympus or _Hades_ for you.

"What are our numbers looking at right now?" The Commissioner asked the group as they stood over a large map of the city.

Reyna was the one to answer. "With Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter and the Hunters of Lady Diana, roughly four hundred strong, sir." She added the last part quickly, feeling the need to show respect for the man who _so clearly_ outclassed them in experience and authority. A demigod didn't get authority and control over the entire state of New York from _Lord Jupiter himself_ if he didn't have a scroll worth of achievements. Perhaps he was a hero as a teenager like them? He seemed unthreatening and ordinary at first glance, but every demigod in the tent could sense his hidden power, his aura alone almost fuzzed her brain. Reyna was personally under the suspicion that he was the son of something _other_ than the Goddess of Justice and Law, something _older_.

Blinking once, Reyna continued with stride. "We sent word to my sister Hylla and her Amazons, but their stronghold had been recently decimated by Monsters, so they were only able to spare us a few of their battle-forklifts."

"I never thought I'd live to see the day where Greeks and Romans stood side by side on the battlefield. I am grateful for your assistance, Praetors." The Commissioner told the young adults with a smile behind his large moustache. "What about our oposistion? How many Monsters and Titans should we expect?"

" _All_ of them." Nico answered from the end of the table. "I used my Shadow Travel to scout out the edges of the city. I could only get within half of a mile from them but I've _never_ felt a presence like that before." He looked grimly to the assortment of leaders in the tent. "I can literally _sense_ the coming death… it's _not_ going to be an easy fight. We're going to lose _a lot_ of people."

Frank Zhang let out a breath next to Reyna. "I _hate_ to say it, but we have to be _willing_ to accept the loses. This is a fight for _all_ of humanity, everyone here knows the risks."

"I agree. It's a part of war and it's a part of being one of us, a demigod. Everyone here knows that." Clarisse spoke up next before looking to Percy. "Have ya been able to check the water yet Prissy?"

The son of Poseidon shook his head. "No, sorry. I've been too busy coordinating everyone to even dip my big toe in. If only we had someone at Camp who could breathe underwater." He looked to Reyna and Frank. "Do you have anyone at Camp Jupiter who can search the water-"

"I already have one of my best men on it." The Commissioner interrupted kindly. "He's searching the ports as we speak."

Chiara looked confused. "You have mortals searching-?"

"No," the Commissioner interrupted again. "A half-blood friend of mine. He's a son of Rongomai."

Malcolm raised a questioning brow. "' _Rongomai'_? Even _I_ don't know who that is." He looked to Reyna and Frank for explanation. "Is that a Roman god?"

Reyna shook her head. "Not one _I've_ ever heard of." She looked to the Commissioner. "Who is this god?"

The Commissioner gave them a look like he was confused by the question. "A Māori god, of course. The Whale God."

"Wait," Miranda spoke up now, clearly confused. " _They_ _exist_ _too_?"

The Commissioner's brow rose slightly as if he were puzzled by the question. "Of course… Hasn't Chiron told you about the other Pantheons?"

"Besides the Norse and Egyptians? He didn't even tell us about _those_ at first." Jason stated with a 'what's next?' tone. "I thought they were the only ones?"

The older man shook his head. "Of course not." He told them simply. "Those stories of other Pantheons aren't _just_ stories, you know. The world is _bigger_ than you think. You have _no idea_ what and _who's_ still out there waiting for their time to reveal themselves. I wouldn't think this is the end if I were you." Percy wasn't able to ask him what that meant because the Commissioner's phone went off in his pocket and he had it to his ear within a second, motioning to them that he had to take it outside.

"Ah, that's one of them now. I called a few of my old fellow disciples, they should be here shortly to lend us their assistance, unfortunately I didn't have much warning to be able to call in those that live further away. I must apologize, but my fighting days are over. Being seventy four _has_ its downsides, I'm afraid. But my friends will fight in my stead. But take down a Monster or two for me, would you?" He told the demigods before speaking into the phone and heading out of the tent. "Sifu Sanfeng, sorry to impose, but I was wondering if-" But the demigods didn't hear the rest as the older man left the tent.

"Well _that_ was ominous." Leo muttered from next to Piper and Jason.

"Back to the matter at hand," Percy pulled everyone back into the conversation, trying to push what the Commissioner said out of his mind. In Percy's experience _new people and gods_ meant _new problems_ , and he had _enough_ of those right now, thank you very much.

"We have to worry about an attack from the ground as well as the sea and air." He looked to Leo. "Is the Argo II in position above the city?" Leo nodded. "Then I want it on a wide patrol, we don't have _any_ demigods besides Jason who can fly. If they attack from the air, we won't have _any_ defenses except our ballistas and catapults."

"Have we finished setting up the ballistas on the exterior balconies of the building?" Reyna asked as she pointed to a large floor plan of the ESB. "Because if not, then I would recommend placing some here, here and here. That way we stagger our defenses so _when_ we come under fire the Titans and Monsters won't be able to destroy more than one at a time with a single attack."

"I agree." Clarisse spoke up as she moved over the map. "We should also set up some defenses on the surrounding buildings as well. That way we can keep 'em as far away from Olympus as we can. With the civies out of the way we don't have ta' worry 'bout them callin' the cops when we bolt ballistas ta' their roofs. We have Scorpios and Springalds that we can mount on lower floors, they aren't as powerful as the ballistas but are faster an' easier ta' load as well as more accurate."

"For the water we only have one small Sambuca ship," Reyna told the group. "And we only have one small trebuchet and three mounted Scorpios on it. Unfortunately that's the extent of our navy, we haven't had any need to maintain it over the last few centuries. I'm sorry, we didn't have time to construct anymore with the time we had."

"Don't worry about the water, Reyna," Percy told the group, a small grin on his face. "I have it covered. I was able to call in some help, I'm _still_ Son of the Seas, don't you forget. I called in a favor or two."

After not receiving an explanation after a few seconds, Piper looked to Percy. "You gonna tell us what that means or what?"

Percy thought it over in his head, ending with a shrug. "Nah, figure it'll be more dramatic this way."

Piper let out a sigh. "Oh for the love of-" But she was suddenly cut off when Angela burst into the tent.

"Percy!" The girl was wide-eyed and visibly shaking in fear. "Everyone! Come quick!"

The son of Poseidon quickly went after the daughter of Nike, the entire Command Tent following him. "What's wrong?" Percy asked as they came to the corner of 33rd Street and 5th Avenue.

The terrified girl pointed off into the distance down the perfectly straight street where Percy could sense the water not so far away. "It's the Hudson River, it's _moving!_ "

Winston from Athena ran up to them next from the other direction. "It's not _just_ the Hudson! The East River is moving too! It's already flooded the entire Lower East Side!"

The group of demigods looked worriedly to Percy. "What's going on, Percy?" Leo asked. "I _think_ it might be time to call in that help you were talking about _ese_."

"That _is_ the help I called in! Come on!" Percy yelled as he lead the group of demigods down the now clear and barren East 34th Street to the East River.

Percy and Jason, naturally, got there first, with the rest of the Council finding the two talking to a twenty foot goddess adorned in a sea-green dress with a belt of beautiful seashells on her waist. Her skin as an ethereal and luminous white and her hair glowed like swaying jellyfish tendrils. She was admittedly very beautiful but had a dangerous aura to her. The Council could hear her dolphin-like laugh as they neared.

"It is good to see you too, little brother." The goddess told Percy, a kind and uneasy smile on her face, like she didn't have much practice being happy. "Sorry we are so late, it took mother longer than we thought to gather our forces." The goddess then looked to Jason. "It is a pleasure to see you again, son of Jupiter. I must thank you for keeping your promise to me. I was worried I would have to bear my holy wrath and righteous fury down upon you and those you love if you didn't."

Jason looked like he wasn't sure if she was joking or not. "...You're welcome, Kymopoleia. It honestly wasn't that big of a deal for us. We love worshiping _all_ the gods of Olympus. Building you a shrine and a cabin was the _least_ we could do to repay you for your help. Speaking of that, thank you _so_ much for coming to our aid _again_."

The goddess shook her head softly. "There is no need to thank me, demigod. But it _is_ appreciated." She looked from Percy to further down the still rising river. "Mother was able to convince grandfather to lend us his aid, with grandmother's persuasion, of course."

"Who's your grandfather?" Piper asked.

"Why, the Old Man of the Sea, of course." The goddess answered as if it were obvious.

"Smelly Santa." Percy answered at the same time, receiving a weird look from most of the Council but Kymopoleia nodded as if she agreed.

"Grandfather Nereus _does_ reek of seaweed and smell like the underside of a beluga." She then looked down into the water at her feet as if she were listening to something. She nodded to it before looking back to her step brother. "I am afraid that some of our companions refuse to travel any further inland, most of them are weak from the Promised Day and the polluted waters are not helping their conditions."

"That's fine," Percy told his halfsister. "I'm just asking they help _any_ way they can. We're worried that some Sea Monsters or Titans may try to attack the city from the water since my dad is powerless right now, so having you guys here defending the waterways is a _massive_ help."

"Think nothing of it, brother. Families of the Seas stand together even through the most violent wave or seaquake." The goddess' face dropped slightly. "With Triton not destined to survive the day, father and mother are inconsolable. But more so with what is at stake today, we _must_ be strong and stand as one. Even some of the eldest living deities of the Sea have risen from the murky depths to lend their aid. No doubt at the call of grandfather."

Percy was just about to ask how many gods they were able to gather when Amethyst, the daughter of Iris, stepped up to him. "Percy, we have an IM coming in. It's from our troops at the ESB." She wore a worried look as she listened to the message in her head before repeating it to the crowd. "It's Leonidas… he's here."

 **xxxXxxx**

 **~Just a Page Break reminding you to follow me on Twitter~**

 **xxxXxxx**

The War Council and Frank and Reyna arrived back at the ESB just in time to see a brobdingnagian beast of a man slowly walking down the middle of the now empty 5th Avenue. He wore a full set of worn and roughly patched up reinforced Spartan Armor, had the Golden Fleece wrapped around his chest like a tunic and wore the Nemean Lion Skin on his large shoulders like a cloak. He was _truly_ massive in both height and weight, though he was noticeably thinner and looked almost sickly to the demigods compared to when they last saw him only two short weeks ago.

But what _really_ surprised them was the large burning torch in his left hand as the same arm held two struggling goats on his shoulder that had their legs hogtied and mouths muzzled. His right arm was supporting and carrying a _massive_ marble statue of a lion that looked strangely familiar to Percy and gave him the feeling that he _shouldn't_ ask questions. He also had an old, worn sack on his back that seemed to have a decent amount of items in it based on the size. His large Spartan Hoplite shield was strapped to his back and reflected the morning rays that bounced off the hundreds of windows on the street.

Percy, Jason, Clarisse, Thalia, Nico, Reyna and Frank met the son of Heracles halfway and motioned for him to stop. He did so at once, carefully putting down the lion statue he carried on his shoulder with a solid 'thud'. If the gasps next to him were any indication, then Percy would say that his friends recognized the iconic statue as well. He was just happy for the first time that Annabeth _wasn't_ here to see this, she'd _surely_ kill Leonidas for this.

"Is- is that Fortitude?" Jason asked with a widening expression as he eyed the famous marble statue of a lion. "Did- did you _steal_ the lion from the New York Public Library? Those are practically national landmarks!" He gave Leonidas an incredulous look as he eyed the live goats on his other shoulder. "What's with the goats and torch? _What_ are you doing?"

"Preparing for war." Leonidas told them simply, as if it were obvious. He patted the lion's marble mane. "It is Spartan tradition to erect a lion statue at the battlefield in honor of King Leonidas of Sparta in order to request his blessing for the upcoming battle." He shrugged his free shoulder. "But I did not have the time nor the expertise to construct one myself, and as I was making my way here I happened to spot this one. I think the Fates placed it on my path so that I might use it to prepare for today."

Piper let out a sigh, slowly shaking her head. "Not _everything_ is a sign from the Fates, Leonidas. Those are _famous_ statues that have been there a hundred years. You can't just _take_ one-"

"But I have need of it." He cut her off with his usual level voice. "Much more than the mortals, anyway. Besides, I'll put it back after the battle. The mortals won't even notice, no harm done."

"No harm done?" Jason started, looking like he was going to blow a gasket. "You just stole a national-" But he was cut off when Percy took a slight step forward and spoke.

"Leonidas… thank you for coming." Percy's words were slow, like he was having a difficult time choosing them. "Some people might not want to admit it, but we could _really_ use your help." The son of the seas then looked off into the distance where he could sense the coming doom and destruction.

"With you, Jason, Thalia, Nico, Frank, Clarisse, Mika and myself together, I don't think a stronger group of demigods has _ever_ been assembled in one place in all of history." He paused to eye the demigods alongside him with respect and admiration, hoping _above all_ that these people, _his friends_ , survived the day ahead. "With all of us fighting together at full power… I think we could even take down a Primordial."

 **~Page break~**

"Oh merciful gods above, I offer you this gift. If it so pleases you, I humbly ask that you bless us in our defense of you and this world." Leonidas reached for the older goat with a slow hand and easily held it down as it useless kicked at him. "I offer you this blood and bone, may this soul be acceptable to you. Thank you for your sacrifice, my friend." With a quick flick of his wrist his dagger slit the goats' neck. The action so quick and straight that blood didn't even spray the cold concrete under him.

After a minute the Son of Sparta then tossed the lifeless body into a large fire he set with a trembling crooked hand. "Lord Zeus, King of Olympus and God of Gods, father of the skies and holy protector, may you bless our righteous battle ahead and empower us with your holy might."

He then tossed the rest of his food and provisions into the fire. He then held the wooden bowl that contained the blood from the goat over the fire and let it slowly drip into the flames. "Lady Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy, _Grandmother_ , please bless me with your wisdom for the upcoming battle. I am but a mortal man, flawed, weak and inferior, not worthy of you knowledge… but _please_ , shower me in your divine grace and bless me… at least for my mother. Let my blade strike down many enemies and my wisdom in battle never falter."

After the last of the blood dripped into the flames he grabbed the younger goat and placed it on the ground in front of him like the other. As he held the blade at its throat he spoke again. "Lady Artemis… Goddess of the Wilds, Maiden of the Hunt, Virgin Protector of defenseless girls… I must _apologize_ for my actions towards you and your Hunters before requesting your aid." He let the blade go slack as he looked to the heavens above, his face racked with pain. "What I did… was _unforgivable_ , and I am _not worthy_ of your aid or blessing, but in order to pay for my sins I _must_ ask that you bless me. _Not_ forgive me. Help my arrow fly true today, assist as I draw back my string, let my quiver never become empty. Let me _prove_ to you that I am a _true man_ , worthy of the love of a woman." His mind bringing an image of Eos into his thoughts, a hint of a smile on his trembling face.

"Worthy of being a husband. Worthy of being a father." He thought of his daughter, Astraea, next. His beautiful girl, who was so weak and helpless that if he and Eos were to die today, she would not last long without them or the Golden Fleece. He wiped a tear from his eye with the back of his scarred hand and continued. "Lady Artemis, I respect and admire _you_ _above all others_ … and this shall be my _last_ fight and _last_ day on earth, so let me atone for my sins against you."

He didn't receive an answer back, not that he expected to, but he felt his shoulders break free from a little weight, if only a little. After letting out a quick breath, Leonidas killed the goat and began cutting it down the middle from the neck to the base of the tail. After that he dug through the steaming innards of the animal, examining the entrails for a sign of divine approval, copying the traditions and rituals of the Spartans before him. He didn't believe in them much, since he wasn't an Augur, but this would be his _last fight_ and he wished to do it as a _true_ Spartan.

After putting the fire out, he pulled an ornate metal comb from his belt and began to solemnly and gingerly comb back his now almost shoulder length fading brown hair, making sure to get rid of every knot in his locks. He wasn't fazed when several clumps of hair got caught in the comb, choosing to simply tossing them to the side without much care. His body was still dying and at its limits, his bones and muscles were breaking and tearing, his skin cracking and dulling. And now the color of his hair was fading and he lost more of it by the day. Eos worriedly told him that he had a bald spot on the side of his head the other day. He completely ignored the strange looks the campers gave him as he kneeled on the sidewalk combing his hair in a ritualistic way like the Spartans before him. A Spartan lived for one thing and one thing only; War. The outside world didn't even register in his mind as he prepared.

Once his hair was perfectly combed and free of imperfections and loose strands, Leonidas slowly rose from his shaky knees and made his way to where he left the stolen lion statue. He lifted it from the ground on the second try after a little difficulty and carried it to the foot of the Empire State Building, setting it in front of the front door, winded. He had to pause as his chest pulsed and his arms burned. Wiping the sweat and blood mix from his forehead, he continued with the ritualistic prayers.

"King Leonidas of Sparta, Warrior King, protector of all Sparta and Greece, the righteous descendant of Heracles I was named after, I humbly beseech you." He placed his head on the lion's mane as he kneeled on the concrete. "I was born a frail baby, was instructed in the ways of our people by my mother in order to become strong, to become _a Spartan_. And as a Spartan I know that there is _no_ honor above dying in service to Sparta, our home, and her people. Well, _this_ _is_ my home, and _these_ _are_ my people, let me protect them with my spear and shield… with _my life if need be._ " The large man bowed so low in front of the statue that his head touched the cold ground. "As a Spartan would. As _you_ would."

With his head still bowed he began to weep, his slow tears beating against the stony ground. "Oh divine and righteous Fate Sisters, I _know_ that I am not worthy of the name _Spartan_ , but let me repay the disgrace I have brought to our people. Let me _prove_ to my father and mother that I am a _true_ Spartan… A _true_ son. Let me face my father and mother with a clean conscience after _all_ I have done to disgrace and hurt them." His fist clenched so tightly that his nails drew blood from his palms. "Let my final stand absolve me of my _numerous_ sins and failures. Let the lives I will save today make up for the ones I lost, _the ones I could not save_. Let my last few hours on the mortal world be in service to Chaos, you and humanity. Let your divine will be done… what is to happen, _will happen_." He paused briefly to sniffle, he continued again, his low voice cracking out of agony.

"...Let me _finally_ live in peace with all that I hold dear with this world and ascend into the sky among the stars forever." He hit his closed fist against the sidewalk, unaware that he broke it in his state. "Let me _finally_ be at peace… Free of this crippling burden. Free of my Labors to save the world." He begged through gritted teeth, the veins in his neck visible. "...For I have _never_ felt nor asked for it in my life. But _please_ , I _beg_ you honorable Fate Sisters… let _all_ of this pain I have experienced and endured in service to you and the world be worth it. Let _all_ I have done not be in vain, let the seeds of change I planted bear fruits of kindness and love after I ascend into the sky."

He sucked a breath between his heaving sobs. "...And let _no other man_ experience my pain. The loss and grief I have experienced, both physical and mental… _I beg you_. I will do it _all_ again to save them from that fate… but _please_ , let no other have to follow in my footsteps. Let this be the end. Let my sacrifices today save the world and humanity. Let them be better off for it."

He sniffed to help compose himself, sensing a figure behind him. "No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan Law. And by Spartan Law… we will stand… and fight… and die."

It wasn't until a minute later that the person behind him said something. "...You know, Zeus may not be so keen to accept an offering from you." Percy spoke up from behind the large man. The rest of Camp gave him a wide berth, so they were left to speak in peace. Percy couldn't have been more grateful.

"I'm aware." Leonidas answered, using his slow fingers to wipe the water from his face. He slowly rose from the ground with a little difficulty and patted the lions' marble main. "But I _must_ follow tradition. We are preparing for war, if I agree with Zeus or not, it _doesn't_ matter."

Percy made a point to not say anything about Leonidas crying in front of him. He instead inspected the large man in front of him. He was still the same intimidating height, but he had lost some notable weight. If Percy had to guess, he'd say that he had lost at least 50lbs(22.6kg) in the last two weeks alone, a _very_ alarmingly large amount.

When Percy had first laid eyes on Leonidas, he resembled a literal god with his enormous height and weight, added with his intimidating aura and unnatural beauty. His skin used to almost radiat in the light. His bright amber eyes once shone like flickering orange flames. _Everything_ about him was breathtaking, every part of him was just outside the normal realms of beauty and human achievement. But _now…_ now everything that once stood out about him was gone.

His once radiating skin was now dull, lifeless, patchy and tattered. _All_ of his various scars and wounds he had received in his punishing life were visible on his skin like burning graffiti.

His once bright amber eyes were dull and sunken in and several dark bags could be seen under them. His cheeks were thinner than they once were, almost as sunken in as a dead mans'. If his twitching right eye was anything to go by, he was in worse shape than he was letting on.

His once impressive muscles and body were a shadow of his former self. His collarbone and ribs could be seen through his thinning skin. Every movement of his left arm caused the fingers on his left hand to twitch as if they were ghosting invisible musical strings. He tried to hide it, but Percy could also see his heavily muscled chest heaving from the simple act of walking. Percy took all of this in within a few seconds, thinking to himself how Leonidas now resembled an inhabitant of _Hades_ more than a living man.

Letting out a breath, Percy nodded to the slightly older man. "Are you _sure_ you're up to fight today, Leonidas?" He asked, even from here he couldn't sense the powerful aura he once emitted. "You _may_ be able to hide it from the others, but you and I spent a lot of time together, and as the closest demigod to you in terms of power… _I_ can tell that you aren't _even close_ to where you were when we first met."

The giant man was slow to respond, taking his time looking off at the horizon. "...You are correct, brother. I have _never_ been this weak in my life." He clenched his fist and was annoyed at how long it took for his numb fingers to react.

"But do not worry, brother, after today I will _never_ feel pain again. I will steal Immortality for myself and Eos once we climb Olympus. If we manage to steal two Golden Apples before the Titans arrive…" His dull amber eyes flared a brighter orange for a brief second, looking to Percy with a hint of a grin at the corner of his lips. "Then I shall be at full health and full power, I will have _no_ drawbacks to my immense strength. My bones will no longer break, my body will no longer strain at the stress, my heart will no longer threaten to stop." His expression then became serious as his eyes scanned up the building before them. "If you wish to win this day and protect the lives of those dear to you, brother, _then get me up to Olympus_. Try to convince the gods to grant me Immortality, _help me steal it if you have to_ , but I _promise you_ , if I am not at full strength today then we _will lose_. You _cannot_ do this alone. Only the two of us _together_ stand a chance against this army of _Tartarus_. But if I were to become Immortal... then _no_ _being_ on this earth will be able to stand against me."

He looked back to Percy, his face hinting at a hopeful expression. "...I have _never_ been able to fight at my full, untapped power before, brother. And _neither_ , I know, have _you_." He raised his heavy arm and pointed to the coin sized Celestial Bronze charm on Percy's necklace that held the trident he received from his father. "If you and I do not give it our all today and fight at our _true_ _power_ , then we _will_ lose. Your demigods will die, the city shall be stroyed, Olympus shall fall and _all of humanity_ will soon follow. Fight by my side as I give my last battle my all. The two of us at our full power will be _unstoppable_." He gripped his meaty hand tight and looked to the heavens above them.

"So I tell you _this_ , brother, unleash your unbridled fury and might upon the coming horde. Show them why you are named 'Perseus', _the Destroyer_. Why _you_ , out of _all_ the demigods on this earth have been granted Domains. Channel the might of your father and the seas and the earth through your trident and harness it in your very soul. Then, and _only then_ , will we be able to stand against the coming threat." He paused to offer Percy his hand, they gripped each other's wrist tightly in a sign of respect and friendship.

"And then the Son of Poseidon and the Son of Heracles, the Sons of Might and Seas will charge into battle with a righteous fury, _never_ before seen in the _entirety_ of the cosmos. We shall ride into battle on steeds of the skies, bearing down our heavenly might unto our enemies. The seas shall rise into the sky, the earth shall shatter under our feet and the heavens shall split apart." He looked up to the sky with a smile. "The demigods a hundred years from now shall sing songs of our mighty battle, Hades will have to resurrect Homer and Shakespeare to be able to write our story and weave it in the very stars so that _every_ mortal and god that will come after us knows what we did. The two mightiest sons of the gods uniting as one to combat the devilish hordes of _Tartarus_." He lifted his tattered hand and cupped the outline of the sun above them. "Never before and never again will a greater battle be fought. What shall happen today… will _no doubt_ change the very Tapestry of Fate for the good. Today… we achieve our Fates."

Percy clenched the enchanted coin on his necklace among the clay beads. "...I've been having visions the last few nights." He told the taller man. "Before I only felt a sense of dread and anxiety, like I knew I had to do something but didn't know what it was… but now, I see us fighting the Titans on Olympus, parallelling the vision Rachel saw and painted in her cave. She thought that we would be fighting _against_ each other, but _I_ believe that we were destined to fight _with_ each other. I have the feeling that we were destined to stand together as well, Leonidas. The two mightiest sons of Olympus fighting together, could you imagine if we had met when we were younger under different circumstances?"

Leonidas nodded. "It would be marvelous indeed. If Fate were different, then I could have been found as a boy by a Satyr and brought to Camp Half-Blood a few years before you. Then I would have _no_ doubt that you and I could have been great friends."

"Even brothers." Percy smiled to the larger man. "If only the Fates weren't so cruel. They had to pit us against each other for awhile instead of letting us fight together."

It was quiet between them as they watched the campers prepare for war around them with vacant eyes. Finally, Percy spoke up. "You ever wonder if our roles could have been reversed?"

Leonidas was slow to reply. "...You mean that _you_ were given the destiny by the Fates to save the world by destroying Zeus and _I_ was the loyal servant to Olympus?" He asked with a curious tone, shrugging one shoulder. "It's possible, perhaps. If your loyalty to humanity was more than your loyalty to the gods, it could be. Or if the Fates wished for me, the grandson of Zeus and the son of the most famous hero and god of Olympus to be their warrior instead of you." He slowly shrugged again. "If Fate were weaved in another way, it's possible. But I am of the belief that _everything_ happens as it should. Be it my mother and father finding each other, my birth, the death of my mother and the only people I loved until Eos. Even our conversation here today. _Everything_ is preordained, brother, that is what I believe. I was destined to change the gods by killing Zeus while you were destined to try to stop me at first. We cannot change anything even if we tried."

"You wouldn't change anything?"

Leonids thought about it for a second. "I haven't put much thought into it, but no. Even though I have lived through terrible experiences, seen and have been the cause of numerous deaths, have broken myself for my Fate and even died at the hands of my father before I killed him… I believe that _everything_ happens for a reason. All I have done, everything I have experienced has shaped me into the man I am today. I may be flawed, but I am the man the Fates wish me to be."

"But if I _had_ to change something, I'd ask to be given more time with you and everyone at camp." He told Percy with a hint of a smile. "I have grown to care about _everyone_ there as if they were my family, and like you, I am loyal to my family until the end." He let out a depressed sigh. "I wish this weren't the last time I would be able to see them. I wish I could mend the relationships I broke before I have to leave with Eos tonight."

That made Percy pause for a few seconds, thinking it over in his head. He didn't want to ask it, but he _had_ to know. "...You're not planning on coming back once you ascend into the sky, are you?"

He didn't miss how Leonidas avoided his eyes. "...No." He mumbled softly. "Once we have finished today and we have stolen Immortality, Eos and I will take Astraea into her realm in the sky beyond the edges of the earth to live in never ending peace among the stars for all eternity. And unfortunately, I will be unable to see the fruits of my Labor once we ascend into the sky." He let out a slow, heavy sigh. "Once I have left this mortal realm, the duty to protect this world will fall to another as decided by the Fates, but let us pray that they choose a mortal who can survive what it means to be one of _us_ ," he looked to Percy briefly. "An instrument of Fate."

"Chaos help whoever they pick after us." Percy muttered under his breath, Leonidas able to hear him. "Because once this is over I'm leaving the Greek world behind, _for good_." He nodded in affirmation to himself. "I'm _fine_ risking my own life in order to protect the ones I love and the world, but it's not just _me_ anymore. I have not only Annabeth to worry about, but our child as well. And I would rather fight Chaos with my _bare hands_ then let them go through what I have endured."

The giant man was silent for a minute before speaking up, not looking to Percy. "I assume that the campers still have not forgiven me?"

Percy let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not." He admitted. "And a lot of them will probably _never_ forgive you. I can name a dozen people off the top of my head that would rather see you die then let you fight beside us." He gave the other man a reassuring look. "But don't worry, I'll keep them in line. We demigods are stubborn, some of them can't let go of what happened so easily. Clovis and Damien were family, y'know?"

"What about you, brother?" Leonidas asked. "Can you forgive me for what I have done?"

"...I think I can." Percy admitted after a few seconds thought. "I'm not a kid anymore, I can't let my emotions control me like they used to. It's time I grew up so that when this is all over, Annabeth and I can leave the Greek world and begin a new life with our child." The Son of Poseidon bit his lower lip. "You're not the only one fighting for everything he has today, Leonidas. I'm fighting for the love of my life as well, same as you."

Leonidas hesitated for a second before looking to where Percy stood beside him. "And I'm fighting for my child, same as you."

Percy did a double take. "I'm sorry, what?" He blinked a few times, his eyes wide, "You're a father too?" The giant man nodded. "Is Eos pregnant too?"

Leonidas shook his head. "No, she had our child almost a year ago." He told the man he considered his brother. "In fact, she was born on _your birthday_ , brother, the eighteenth of August." He smiled with his dull, sunken eyes. "I believe it to be a sign."

"A sign of what?" Percy asked hesitantly.

The son of Sparta let out a breath through his nose, nodding to himself a few times. He then looked to Percy with a slight smile. "A sign that she will one day achieve a great destiny and be a great hero like you, brother." He told Percy honestly as his eyes moved to the heavens. "I pray that she _never_ has to fight, but the life of a half-blood is _never_ easy. You never know _what_ will happen."

"Do you know what you will be having?"

Percy shook his head. "Nah, Lady Hera or Lady Eileithyia may have been able to tell me, but I'd prefer Annabeth be able to be told at the same time."

Leonidas nodded, understanding. "What do you want?"

Percy shrugged. "Haven't really thought about it, y'know? I haven't really thought of it as anything other than an 'it' yet. With everything I've done preparing for the Promised Day I haven't had a second to think about it. It hasn't really sunk in yet, y'know?" He shrugged again, leaning on the blockade. "I guess a son would be cool, I'd get to do all the father-son stuff with him I never got to do, but I don't really care. The kid could be a pegasis for all I care." He ended with a chuckle. " _All_ I care is that they live long enough for me to get to meet them."

Leonidas nodded with a somber expression. "I'm sorry again for what I did to Annabeth, brother. If I had known she was with child I wouldn't have-"

"I know." Percy cut him off softly. "I forgive you."

The two stood like that in comfortable silence as four hundred half-bloods and Legacies ran around them like crazy ants. After another minute of silence Percy spoke, keeping his eyes ahead. "You're risking a _lot_ by coming here today, Leonidas, I _know_ that. So thank you."

The giant man let out a slow breath before looking to the east where the sunrise was no longer visible. "...Today is the day," he told his friend. "I can feel it in the wind. Eos will die today if I do not steal Immortality for us. Her time, along with _mine_ , is at its end. If we do not become Immortal by dusk, we will _both_ die."

Percy's eyes widened upon hearing this, he made a step forward but stopped himself from putting a hand on Leonidas' shoulder. Knowing that it wouldn't help him. "...I'm sorry, Leonidas." Percy whispered after a few seconds, not knowing what to say. "I wish I could help."

The lion clad man put on a fake smile, the light in his once vibrant eyes all but gone. "Thank you, brother. But it as the Fates decree, not even we, the most powerful demigods on earth, can change it." He dropped the fake smile and looked back to the east and where Eos was. "Besides… my mother used her last dying breaths to tell me my Fate, my destiny. I shall achieve a feat above _any_ man or god before me. I shall reunite with my father one day, climb Mount Olympus to claim my dreams and rise into the sky and live among the stars forever." He told Percy as he repeated the words his mother told him all those years ago. " _That_ , is my Fate, and _that_ is what is going to happen."

He turned to the man he called his brother and looked him in the eye. "...I have _never_ felt this… _at peace_ before." He told him as he thought it out loud. "I can feel it, brother, my destiny shall arrive this day. Today, I shall be free of the tethers of this earth."

 **xxxXxxx**

 **~Well, let's get started, shall we?~**

 **xxxXxxx**

They saw buildings fall and crumble into dust in the distance before they ever saw the opposing army.

The approaching noise was like thundering artillery shells continuously bombarding a bunker combined with a roaring pride of lions. The Lincoln tunnel only amplified the cacophonous, ground trembling roar of the Titans and Monsters.

Luckily for the demigods, the Athena and Ares cabins predicted they'd attack from this route so they lined the roofs of the nearby buildings with trebuchets and ballistas and opened fire as soon as the enemy army was within range.

"Let the heavens bare down their righteous fury!" Reyna yelled as she lead the forces guarding the Lincoln Tunnel. "Open fire!"

The trebuchets launched great clay orbs of Greek Fire at the endless hordes of Monsters streaming in while the ballistas hurled their Celestial Bronze bolts at the army. Soon, Pier 78 was all but engulfed by the wisping and ever growing flames that incinerated the hordes of _Hellhounds_ and _Dracaenae_ faster than they could climb over the ash covered corpses of their fallen.

"It is as you predicted, Malcolm," Reyna told the head of the Athena cabin via an Iris Message set up by Amethyst and Fleecy to allow all of the various leaders communicate, no matter how spread out they were. "The Titans sent the least valuable Monsters first. Shame our hidden defenses will be used on them instead of the Titans."

Malcolm shrugged from the other side of the IM. "True, but at least the chaos and destruction will keep them from progressing so recklessly for a little bit. They have _no idea_ what other traps we could have. They'll be cautious." He paused briefly to nod to someone out of sight, giving them instructions. "Let's just hope we can keep them back on this end. They're attacking from Queens Midtown Tunnel as well as the Holland Tunnel, the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. We're almost defenseless along the Hudson River, so let's hope Percy's group of Sea Deities are up to the task."

The war was going well for the first five minutes until Percy's biggest fear came true. The Commissioner was only able to evacuate the island of Manhattan, _nothing else_. So without the power of the gods to put the mortal world asleep or hide their presence with magic, there was _nothing_ to hide the Greek world.

Percy could hear the collective gasps of the demigods around him as they felt the sky above them shimmer just as the peak of the Solstice hit. The son of the seas forced himself to look up and his breath was immediately ripped from his lungs.

Olympus was visible above the Empire State Building. In other words…

...The Greek world was _visible_ to the Mortal world for the first time in two thousand years.

Percy's inward cursing was cut short when he heard the roar of helicopter blades entering the city from above the East River. He was given a split second to make a decision that could _literally_ change the course of history.

"Jason!" Percy cried as he pointed to the speck in the distance. "Stop the helicopter from getting any closer! Take it down if you have to! The mortals _can't_ see Olympus!"

The son of Jupiter hesitated just long enough for Malcolm to speak up next to them. "That won't do anything! By now every military satellite in the country has picked it up!" He pointed up to the _literal_ floating city above them. "The world knows we're here, and soon… the military will try to get involved."

Percy shook his head of his worries, facing Jason with a serious expression. "I don't care! Jason! That's a news copter, if it gets any closer the entire world will see us! _Go!_ "

Jason didn't waste another second and jumped into the air and flew like a rocket towards the helicopter.

Percy sensed a powerful aura behind him and turned to face the Commissioner. "Isn't there _anything_ you can do?"

The old mustachioed man shook his head slowly. "No, sorry. I simply don't have the authorization to shut down the entire state. And even if I did, it wouldn't stop the mortals from seeing us."

Percy hit his fist on the wooden table, knocking over a few pieces representing battle formations. "Shit!" He ran his fingers through his hair as his brain went at lightspeed trying to come up with a solution. And it seemed that he found one because he suddenly turned to the Commissioner again. "Do we have an ETA on your friends? You said they could fly, right?"

The old man nodded. "Yes, two of them can. They're carrying the fourth member here as we speak. Unfortunately, all I could gather on such short notice was _four_ half-bloods. One of them, the son of Rongomai, will stay in the mouth of the Upper Bay where he is the most effective while the two that can fly will help form a barrier-"

"Can you tell them to join Jason, my sister Kym and I as we create a massive storm cloud around the island?" Percy cut the old man off. "It might not stop satellites, but if we create a big enough storm then we can stop more helicopters or even the Airforce from entering the city."

The group around him was silent for a few seconds as his plan sunk in. Piper looked to him with a worried expression. "Percy, in order to create a storm of the size you're talking about, it'll take up _a lot_ of your strength. Not to mention how long it'll take to form. I don't think Jason can keep you suspended in the air for that long-"

"I'll get you into the sky, brother. The son of Jupiter isn't the only being with control over the skies." Leonidas rolled up to the group of demigods in a golden-red chariot pulled by a team of two Immortal horses, small flames of light trailing behind the wheels. "Eos' chariot can get us into the clouds faster than even the son of Jupiter. From there we can safely gather us many storm clouds as we wish."

Percy didn't even hesitate for a second before jumping onto the back of the enchanted chariot. He gave a few last orders to the Council about telling his sister and the Sea Deities the plan before he, Leonidas and Jason flew off towards the center of the island.

With the trident he received from his father upon being granted the Domain over Storms and Earthquakes, Percy raised the weapon over his head and began summoning as much power as he could over the water and air around him as the battle for humanity and the world battled on below them.

 **~Just a small page break to get myself mentally ready~**

"Gnnnaaaahhh!" Percy let out a roar as he swung the trident over his head, the hurricane level winds and thousands of gallons of water in the air around him spun in a vortex around him. But it wasn't enough, he simply couldn't gather up enough power in such a short amount of time to do it alone.

So his sister, Kymopoleia, and her gathering of minor Sea Deities, along with Jason and the two newcomers that the Commissioner sent to aid them, joined in and began channeling all their collective power over the sky, storms and air.

Percy was about to ask who the newcomers were when he heard a great crack in the sky and found the news helicopter Jason chased off had returned and subsequently hit by a flaming taxi thrown by a Titan. He was too high up in the sky to do anything and he didn't know what these two new people could do, so he put his trust in his friend.

"Jason!" He roared over the sky around them, pointing to the falling helicopter. "The helicopter!"

The son of Jupiter didn't even respond, instead shooting off like a missile towards the helicopter with the intent to _somehow_ catch or stop it from falling. Percy knew in his heart that while fast, Jason couldn't do it alone.

He was suddenly broken from his thoughts when Leonidas, who had been steering the chariot, ran off the edge and jumped into the sky. He threw his mighty arms back and propelled himself at a skyscraper just below the falling helicopter. The son of Heracles impacted the glass of the building like a meteor but didn't waste a second before launching himself upwards off of it and _literally_ catching the news copter above his head before it hit the building.

Percy could barely make out the passengers and pilot jump from the helicopter as soon as Leonidas brought it within three feet of the building's roof. He didn't know _what_ they saw as mortals, but he could also make out a man carrying a large news camera on his shoulder with it aimed right at Leonidas for the briefest of seconds before the son of Heracles jumped off of the building onto the road below, shattering the ground beneath his feet.

A second later an IM appeared right next to Percy's head. "Brother," Leonidas sounded extremely winded and in pain, but proceeded nonetheless. "You and I are more effective on the ground where the heart of the army lies. Let the son of Jupiter and those that can fly tend to the air, the Titans are breaking the edge of the city as we speak, you and I should challenge them head on! If we do not stop the Titans then the others will fall. _Only we_ can stand against them!"

Leonidas was right, Percy knew that. So despite how much he could help with forming a wall of storms around the island, Percy gripped the reigns of the chariot and lead the horses to the street below. From up above him, Percy could see the two newcomers were battling a flying Titan at the edges of the city.

They were very… _odd_. They were so far away that Percy couldn't make them out fully, but they gave off different auras then either Leonidas, the Monsters, Titans or the gods. Making Percy wonder if they were perhaps children of _other_ Pantheons.

The first was a tall, lean, dark-skinned man riding on top of a flaming thundercloud wielding a small, double headed battle axe that crackled with lightning and sparked flame with every swing. He flew up to the Titan and flying Monsters with guts and a ferocity that would make Ares wince and shouted just as much as Leonidas did as he swung his battle axe. He had a voice like thunder, and a mouth that spewed fire whenever he spoke or shouted in the sky.

The second man was even more odd. He had waves of green, red and golden energy and light ripple off his body like thousands of fluttering feathers as he flew in a serpentine pattern high in the sky as he sent waves of air like scythes at the Titan. Percy knew for _sure_ that he wasn't the son of _any_ Greek, Roman, Norse or Egyptian god they had ever seen.

It wasn't long before Jason and Nico, fellow descendants of the Big Three, joined Percy and Leonidas at the front of the battalion at 8th Avenue and East 34th Street. Each of them was adorned in new armor made by Tyson and his fellow Cyclops for just this occasion.

Nico's armor was a shining black of Stygian Iron bearing a helm that resembled his father's Helm of Darkness. The Stygian Iron sword that could sever soul from body in his hand as he dispatched a group of Monsters.

Jason wore a glistening set of Imperial Gold armor bearing the symbol for his father of the chestpiece. He took to the skies a few meters above the others, casting down lightning bolt after lightning bolt at the never ending horde of darkness.

Percy was adorned in a shimmering assortment of Celestial Bronze armor that protected his skin from magic and his Mortal Spot from all harm.

While Leonidas wore his signature perfectly polished and mended traditional Spartan armor, the Nemean Lion Skin around his shoulders as an indestructible cloak and wore the Golden Fleece around his muscular chest.

They eyed the army in front of them and kept a wary eye on the battered defenses behind them. With a wordless nod between the four of them, the three Wolves and one Lion of Olympus tore down the barren street yelling a warcry as they neared the engulfing horde.

" _ **FOR OLYMPUS!**_ "

"GrrrAAAAAHHH!" Leonidas, with his mighty warhammer above his head, launched himself at a pair of Titans while Nico and Jason kept a _Hydra_ at bay with their superior reach thanks to their abilities.

Percy, on the other hand, ran straight down the middle of the street and slammed the butt of his trident inches deep into the road. "GHAAAA!"

'CrrrrBBBAAAMMM!' The entire street for the next several blocks erupted into the sky as if dozens of bombs detonated under it. He didn't pay much mind to the AMC theater on his left when it to crumbed to the ground, however. This was a battle for _all_ humanity, they didn't _have time_ to worry about the buildings around them. If they failed today then it wouldn't matter. Everything would be gone.

The dozens of Monsters slogged forwards through tangible shadows that Nico summoned from the pits of _Hades_ , slowing them down enough for Jason to easily obliterate them with thunderbolts taken from his father's realm.

A blood curdling cry of a beast echoed down the canyons of the city, causing all the hair of the four demigod's bodies to stand on end. A mass of trembling fur and tusk barreled down the demolished street at them. It took Percy a few seconds to register that it was a giant boar. Emphasis on the _giant_. It _dwarfed_ all the Titans and Monsters around it easily. Percy had only seen something this big in the sea before, but here it was. Nearly 150 feet tall from hoof to shoulder. Even the Titans in front of it ran to get out of the way as it passed them, making Percy realize that they should too. But if they did then the infirmary and hundreds of demigods around the ESB would be killed, so he and the others stood their ground.

Percy was just about to shout his half-cocked plan to the others when Leonidas barreled forwards like an out of control berserker, his meaty hands being covered with his enchanted gauntlets that increased his already insane strength by ten as they threw his warhapper to the side.

"GrrrAAAAAHHH!" The son of Sparta tore down the street towards the gigantic beast.

Percy tried to reach out to stop him but it was too late. "Leonidas! What are you-"

But he only bellowed louder as he and the beast got closer. The giant boar lowered it's four tusks that were longer than buses and increased speed upon seeing the challenge.

"Father," Leonidas mumbled to himself as he charged the beast. "Kratos, divine incarnation of Strength. Zeus, god of gods. King Leonidas of Sparta, give me the strength to destroy this beast!" He let out a shout as the boar reached him, but instead of being skewered, he swatted the massive tusk aside, pulled his right arm back, clenched his gauntlet covered fist and threw it like a rocket-propelled planet at the side of the boar's dripping snout.

'BOOOOOOM!'

The shockwave alone nearly burst Percy's eardrums. He, Jason and Nico had to jump behind a flaming bus in order to dodge the asteroid field of debris that launched in all directions. As soon as the dust settled the three ran into the silence to try to find the son of Sparta.

"Leonidas!" Percy called as he jumped over a destroyed taxi. "Leo-" His breath stopped short at the sight in front of him. The colossal boar was lying dead on its side, its entire face caved in and destroyed. Its head was snapped to the side, half embedded in what was once a dinner. But it was what stood on shaking legs that stopped Percy.

Leonidas became visible in the veil of dust, his body still in the position of a thrown punch. His legs were braced and spaced apart and his left arm was pulled back to protect his face, but his right arm was slack against his side. The muscle and bone was visible to the air and was a mixture of blood red and bluish black. His entire arm below the shoulder was contorted like it was thrown into an industrial grinder. Leonidas kept his footing for three more seconds before sinking to his knees.

Nico was just about to Shadow Travel Leonidas back to West Quoddy Head, Maine and back to Eos, when the fourth newcomer arrived on foot with Will and a few Apollo healers and began healing Leonidas in conjunction with the Golden fleece.

She had a mane of fiery red hair, much like Rachel's, but was braided up into a crown on top of her head. She was around thirtyfive, like the others he saw, and had a -was that Irish?- accent. Percy wasn't able to spare anymore time watching her quickly heal Leonidas because the Titans and Monsters that had lost their bearings after seeing the giant boar fall were quickly finding their courage and were beginning to charge down the road at them again. So despite how much he wanted to stay there to make sure Leonidas was okay, Percy threw the worries for the man he considered his brother aside for the moment and lead Jason and Nico down the war-torn road towards the approaching army.

 **~Page break~**

"HrrrrAAAGGGHHH!" The lead Titan bellowed like a beast as it barreled into view down the street after just throwing Nico and Jason to the side like ragdolls.

It had been nearly an hour of hard fighting, but the endless hordes of Monsters and dozen Titans wouldn't let up and the sons of the Big Three were growing tired.

The Titan would have barreled straight past them and reached the ESB if Percy hadn't used the almost literal _sea worth of water_ above his head, lent by his sister, to crash down on the Titan. Water, it seemed, was a good weapon to keep the coming horde back so that the hundreds of demigods guarding the ESB could regroup around the Argo II.

"Jason!" Percy called through the thin wall of dust and debris. "How's Nico?"

As if to give an answer, Jason hefted the son of Hades onto his shoulder and jumped into the sky to avoid another flaming taxi thrown by a Titan. Percy had never hated taxicabs more in his life. "He's not doing good!" Jason yelled back once he was at a safer distance. And of the blood dripping down his slack arm were anything to go by, he wasn't either. "If fly him back to the ESB then fly back to help you-"

"Belay that!" Percy cut him off with a shout as he dodged a Titan's fist. "You two aren't invulnerable like me, so you'll just wear yourself down until you fall!" He _hated_ to do it, mostly because he was sending the last of his support away, but he _couldn't_ risk the lives of his friends. "Get back to the ESB and have Clarisse engage the last of our defenses! Then pray to Chaos that he survive today and ask Kym to lend me a hand down here.

"But-" Jason cut himself off, knowing it was best not to argue. He instead asked a question. "What are you gonna do? You can't destroy the city like you did to the original Mount Olympus in Greece last time!"

"I'm gonna level the bridges around the city to buy us some time so I can head up to Olympus to ask the gods for help." Percy told him as he half ran, half fought his way towards them. Once he was within a few yards, Jason spoke up.

"Do you really think the gods can help us now?" Jason asked with a skeptical look. "If they could fight then don't you think that they would already be down here?"

"No idea." Percy gave a weak shrug before launching the torrent of tidal waves down the destroyed streets and pushing the army back. "But in both and Rachel's visions we saw me fighting off the army on Olympus, so I should be there anyway as a last line of defense. Anyway," He paused to suck a quick breath as he slammed his trident on the ground again, creating a shockwave that destroyed the last of the buildings in a few blocks radius around them. "I _can't_ fight at my top level while worrying about you guys and the city. Yeah it's just a city, but I'd rather it still be here after today. If I can get up to Olympus I won't have to worry about collateral damage."

Jason nodded his head after a few seconds, agreeing despite all his instincts screaming at him to do otherwise. "Alright, I'll take Nico and Leonidas out of here-"

"No." A low baritone voice like the rumbling sky sounded behind them. The two demigods turned to see Leonidas struggle to his feet, the older Irish demigod trying in vain to pull him back down. "You know as I do brother that the vision depicted _both_ you and I fighting the Titans on Olympus. The Fates made it clear that it would take both of us to stop the end of the world today." He slowly stepped up to Percy and held out his tattered but quickly healing hand. "Let us show those vile Titans what we are made of, brother. Let's climb Mount Olympus together to be the last line of defense."

 **~Just a page break reminding you to Follow me on Twitter~**

With the aid of Kymopoleia and Nereus, Percy was able to destroy all of the bridges and tunnels leading onto the island to prevent the endless army from growing any larger. After that, Kymopoleia surprised Percy by appearing on land next to them and, with the aid of Nereus, held the Titan and Monster army back long enough for the demigods to reach the barricades at the Empire State Building. He and Leonidas had just entered the elevator leading up to Olympus when Kymopoleia IM'd him to tell him that because she was in such a weak state due to the Promised Day, had to flee to the ocean and that Nereus, her grandfather, would assist them just long enough for their group of Sea Deities to flee as well. So they would soon be on their own.

After thanking his halfsister and making sure she was okay, Percy ended the Iris Message and faced the large man next to him in the cramped elevator. "You didn't have to come, you know. You're already weak, you shouldn't put yourself at more risk."

Leonidas only shrugged his better shoulder, the Nemean Lion Cloak ruffling from the motion. "You would do the same for me, brother." The giant man replied with a grin. "So don't try to talk me out of it, you and I both know we're too stubborn to quit now."

Percy let out a breath before nodding. "Yeah, I know. But I'm worried about taking you up to Olympus." He told the slightly older man. "The gods don't know you're on our side, more or less. I know for sure that Zeus won't let us speak long enough to explain it either. We'd be lucky for even Demeter hearing us out."

Leonidas looked to him. "So what should we do?"

Percy ran a hand through his sweaty hair in thought. "I think it'd be best if you wait by the gates as I head into the Throne Room to talk to the gods. This way they won't know you're here and they can't sense you since they're too weak."

Leonidas let out a defeated sigh. "Even when I plan to unite with them to defend this world, they still fear me and treat me as an enemy.' He gave a heavy nod as he but his shield on his back and let his weapons disappear into the tattoos on his arms. "But you're right, this is the best way."

The two most powerful demigods in history reached the Gates of Olympus soon after that. Percy had expected to be met with an army of Zeus' most powerful warriors, not a line of depressed looking minor gods looking towards the Gates with defeated and vacant eyes like they had already accepted their death. It made Percy's heart drop, it looked like the entirety of Olympus had already given in to despair.

After running at full speed down the cracking golden roads, Percy burst into the Throne Room only to find an arrow at his face.

"It is good to see you after so long, Percy, but may I suggest _not_ kicking our door down next time?"

Percy was met at the door by Artemis, Apollo and Athena, all in their full armor, weapons drawn. Artemis and Apollo gave him a brief greeting while Athena stayed back a few steps, looking at Percy with unblinking, worried eyes. He gave them a quick apology before heading to the center of the Throne Room and facing Zeus, who didn't look quite so happy to see him.

"Why have you come here, demigod?" Zeus asked in a level tone, in no way hiding his immense hatred for Percy.

Percy gestured to the Gates. "Because, if you hadn't noticed, Olmypus is under attack. And Nereus and all the Sea Deities that helped us today just left back to the sea, so the _only_ people protecting the ESB our my demigods." He was trying really, _really_ hard to not just shout at him right now. "So now would be a _good time_ to get off your butts and lend us a hand."

Zeus let out a low growl light trembling thunder, but Hera patted his hand before standing up and taking a step towards Percy. "I am truly sorry, Percy, but we cannot. We are too weak." She stepped up to him and put a delicate hand on his shoulder. "You are a _truly_ honorable and determined man, but we _have_ to accept the chance that the Fate Sisters simply don't wish for us to survive today. Perhaps it is our Fate to die." She then gave him a smile that didn't really reassure him but made him feel a _little_ calmer. "You have done _all_ you can, but it is _more than enough_. Take your demigods and flee this country to somewhere out of the Titans' reach. Live to fight another day."

Percy took a step back, letting her hand fall. He shook his head adamantly. " _Not_ without all of you." He told them with a determined face. "I don't _care_ if I have to carry all of you on my back, I'll get you all out of here safely! If we can manage to outrun the Titans until tomorrow then your powers will come back-"

He was cut off when his father stepped up next to him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "It means the world to us that even after all of _this_ you're willing to fight for us," He paused to pull back to look at his son, his head shaking slowly. "But Hera is right, the battle is _lost_ , we will die today."

" _No_ , I _refuse_ to accept that!" Percy took a bold step forward and eyed every member of the Council. "Have you all admitted defeat so easily? How? If we don't stand up against the Titans then the _entire world_ will fall. You _have_ to do something!"

"But we cannot do anything." Zeus spoke up now, his eyes less angry than before. "We are too weak to fight, too weak to leave Olympus even. We _cannot_ fight with you."

"There might be a way!" Artemis spoke up suddenly, she ran up to Hera's side, her bow gripped tightly in her hand. " _We_ may not be able to _fight the Titans_ , but we _may_ be able to _give Percy the power to do so_."

The queen of the gods' eyes lit up as she looked from Artemis to Percy then back to Artemis. "Y-you might be onto something, Artemis. It might very well be the _only_ way." She nodded to herself and faced Percy again. She spoke like a true queen, her voice firm and level like she were commanding an army. "Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, demigod of Storms and Earthquakes, step forward." Percy did so, though hesitantly. "Kneel." She told him and he did after a second.

Once he was kneeled before the queen of the gods, she called the other gods in the Throne Room to gather around him in a tight circle. All of them but Zeus and Ares did, making Percy curious and even more worried. She then placed a dimly glowing hand on his head, the rest of the gods following suit. She then looked down at him with a sad expression like she was sending him to his death.

"In return for your selfless dedication to us and the world, the Council has decided to offer you this to aid in your defense of us and this world. For so as long as breath fills our lungs, you shall possess the power to fight." Then suddenly all of the hands on his head began to glow brighter. "We will briefly conjoin our combined powers into your bodies, an act that could _very well_ destroy your very soul if you are not strong enough to endure the pain."

She then paused and Percy could see a tear forming in her eyes, making him even more worried about what was going on. "For if you two cannot bear the pain, _you shall die_. And if that were to happen, the _world shall fall_." The glow began to quickly engulf him and he could for some reason sense Leonidas back at the Gates as he felt power surge into him. "We offer you this, our Champions…" The glow became blinding and he felt as if he was being ripped apart atom by atom. "The _Blessing of Olympus_."

* * *

(Author's Note)

DANG! That was a big one, wasn't it. This chapter alone changed SO MUCH you guys don't even know. Can't spoil anything so I'll leave it at that.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, let me know what you thought of it in a Review. If you're reading this and have never left a Review before, why not leave one? I can't know you're enjoying it if not.

No idea when ch19 will be out. I have to finish getting ready for my next project to come out on November 1st. So it might be a few weeks until ch19, sorry. Watch out for that and Follow me on here and on Twitter so you don't miss out on anything I upload.

Please let me know if you'd be willing to support me on P-a-t-r-e-a-n. I've thought of getting one for awhile but won't unless a few people say they will.

Also, I'm starting a new thing on Twitter(follow me, btw) where I create a FanFic Author Support Thread where FanFic authors and fans retweet, follow, like and find new stories to read. I know most fanfic authors don't have a twitter dedicated to their writing, but I want to help those that do the most I can. So if you guys have a twitter, PLEASE follow me and add to the thread and help support your favorite authors and stories. If your favorite author isn't on twitter then just give their name and your favorite stories by them. I only have 26 followers as of writing this and I know the followers of the authors I listed, so let's help them out, okay?

 **Fun Fact:** If the dates on my docs are to believed(and I almost always date my docs), then I created my first doc for COO in June of 2018, _well over a year ago_. That's just… _wow_. I can't even fathom that. I've spent over a _year_ on this story… that's _crazy_. Well, it's been a good run. I have a series in the works that'll take COO's place as my longest running project(at the time). It's three stories right now. More info to come later, might announce it on Pat-reon first. Hint hint, wink wink.

But the longest project I'll ever do will probably be my "PJ Rewritten for Pertemis' series in the works. It'll be a rewrite of the ENTIRE 10 book main series plus an original book or two. STILL have no idea how I'll do that.

 **Question of the day:** 'What do you like or dislike about Leonidas?' Be as specific as possible and feel free to use examples from the story. Not trying to stroke my ego or something, just want to know if you guys like him for the same reasons I do.

 **Bonus Question of the day:** 'Given with you all know know about Leonidas, what Hogwarts House would you put him in?' I wanted to ask this question months ago, but back then we didn't know much about him, and as we're nearing the end I figured it was time to ask. I honestly think it's between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, he has the courage and bravery down- I mean, _of course_ he does, look who his dad is- but he's loyal, hardworking and determined as well. Let me know.

 **Next Time:** Ch19: Among The Stars Forever


	28. Update Nov 30, 2019

Update Nov 30, 2019

Hey everyone! I haven't done one of these in awhile but I figured that since it has been, jeez, _over a month_ since the last chapter, I'd let you all know that I'm not dead.

Now, don't worry, the story isn't on hold, I haven't been struck by lightning and this story isn't at risk of being cancelled. I've just been EXTREMELY busy with my new job the last few weeks. As I said in the last chapter it's 4 more hours a day compared to my last one, so I don't have nearly as much time to write as I would like. I also have to work Saturdays for overtime from time to time, and as Saturday's are my main day to write, it cuts in.

But I just wanted to let you know that I'll be working on ch19 right after this. I hope to get it done within a few days. I'll be giving updates on Twitter, it's easier to do than on here.

I also wanted to let you guys know that I have created a Pat-reon account. I already have 1 Patron, W. R. Winters(thanks again!), and I'd love to be able to make writing my full time gig so if you'd be willing and able to support me, even for one month, then head over to my Pat-reon. You can find it on my Twitter, along with some info about art commissions I'm getting. Including Rachel's vision she painted of Leonidas and Percy in her cave, one of Leonidas and Eos together, as well as two characters dedicated to amazing readers, followers and supporters such as you.

You can find more info on there, but the top tier gets the option of having either their OC they submitted for my upcoming 'The Half-Blood Wars' story OR, and this is newly announced today, a character in my other upcoming SERIES 'Daughters of Olympus' dedicated to you. They won't be your OC like THBW, but I'll be taking aspects of your username, real name, submitted name as well as parts of your profile pic/avatar if you'd like.

There's just one thing though, you need to become a top tier pledger before Christmas to get this perk, that way I can get the artwork commissioned asap as well as have the character fully ready for Daughters of Olympus to premiere after the New Year.

That's enough plugging for now though. I'll keep you guys updated on my progress for chapter 19 via Twitter, so give me a follow on there! I'll see you guys soon,

Hephaestus


	29. Ch 19: Among The Stars Forever

(Uploaded: Dec 15, 2019)

Chapter 19: Among The Stars Forever

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! Sorry again for the delay in getting this chapter out, but I have a few things to say first:

First, thank you to all the new followers on Twitter I've gotten over the past two months, I really appreciate it! Follow me on there for updates, polls and perhaps some sneak peeks, hint hint, wink wink. I've been slowly introducing new characters for my next series that will be coming out after this story (hopefully)finishes around Christmas. I even drew some concept art for them, so check my Twitter if you want to check them out! Can we break 35 followers by Christmas? We're at 27 now, I believe in you guys!

Second, should I get an Instagram dedicated to my stories? That way I can easily share OC artwork commissions I get? I don't take pictures myself, so it would pretty much be exclusively for my stories. Managing another platform will take a little time, but I'm willing to do it if you guys would follow me on there.

Third, as I said in the Update, I've gotten a Pat-reon. I have four tiers, $5, $10, $25 and $50USD. You can find info on the perks for each reward on Twitter and Pat-reon. While some posts are visible to non-patrons, most that give sneak peeks and info can only be seen by patrons, sorry. I'd appreciate any and all support from you guys. Even if you can't financially support me, something as simple as following me on Twitter, Wattpad, Instagram(when I get it) or just retweeting my posts and chapter links helps more than you know. Everything you guys do helps me and my stories, so thank you all!

* * *

 **Thank you to my wonderful supporter on Pat-reon!**

 **W.R. Winters**

 **It's because of Pat-reon that I was able to commission an artist to draw the Cover Art for this story. Check it out if you haven't, it's Rachel's vision she painted in her cave.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Among The Stars Forever

"Give me a Hero and I'll write you a Tragedy"

F. Scott Fitzgerald

 _[Recap:_ "Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, demigod of Storms and Earthquakes, step forward … In return for your selfless dedication to us and the world, the Council has decided to offer you this to aid in your defense of us and this world. For so as long as breath fills our lungs, you shall possess the power to fight … We will briefly conjoin our combined powers into your bodies, an act that could _very well_ destroy your very soul if you are not strong enough to endure the pain." Lady Hera then paused and Percy could see a tear forming in her eyes, making him even more worried about what was going on. "For if you two cannot bear the pain, _you shall die_. And if that were to happen, the _world shall fall_." The glow began to quickly engulf him and he could for some reason sense Leonidas back at the Gates as he felt power surge into him. "We offer you this, our Champions…" The glow became blinding and he felt as if he was being ripped apart atom by atom. "The _Blessing of Olympus_." _]_

 **(June 21, 2011 - Mount Olympus)**

 **~A few minutes earlier~**

"S-stay back, you m-monster! Get any c-closer and I'll h-have to k-kill you!"

Percy had only left a few minutes before when Leonidas went to search for Hera's hidden garden where the Tree of Golden Apples she received as a wedding gift from Zeus was. But unfortunately for him, the key word was 'hidden', meaning that he did not know where it was. So he tore down the cracking golden streets of Olympus in search of his Fate.

But what he found instead was a somewhat large group of minor gods worriedly standing in a circle around a goddess who was lying on the cracking ground, writhing with intense pain. And when he went to move closer to see if she was alright and to offer aid, he was met with a barrage of screams, shrieks and cries. As well as having a large shepherd's staff thrust in his face like the tip of a sword.

The minor god who blocked his progress was rather short and thin, dressed in the typical garb of an ancient Greek farmer and had a large magical sheep standing behind him who eyed Leonidas with a fearful gaze. He was also shaking in his sandals out of fear, so much so that Leonidas feared his heart might go out at any second.

"I-I said s-stay b-back!" The minor god yelped as he hid behind his staff, pointing it at Leonidas' shoulder instead of his neck, chest or any vital point. His stance was also horrid, his knees were bent at awkward angles, and his grip was uneven, his hands _far_ too close to his body, making him capable of being knocked over by the smallest gust of wind.

The giant man raised his thinning brow, confused by the minor god's fear. "What are you doing?" He asked, his low voice slow with curiosity.

The minor god bravely moved his staff a fraction of a centimeter closer to Leonidas' meaty shoulder. His high voice squeaked when he replied. "I'm g-going to run y-you through i-if y-you don't s-stop where you are!"

"With what? This piece of curved wood?" Leonidas slowly raised his unarmed misshapen hand to poke the end of the hooked wooden staff with a single finger, he was sure that he barely put any power behind it, but the minor god was pushed back a few steps regardless. His gruff voice was very confused. "You aim to stab me with the curved end of a wooden shepherd's staff? How does that work?"

The minor god pressed forward through his fear, taking a miniscule step towards Leonidas, still brandishing his hooked staff as a spear. "I-I said s-stay b-back!"

Leonidas nodded towards the crying goddess on the ground. "Stand down, I mean you no harm," He slowly held up his hands, his open palms towards the god as a sign of non-aggression. "I just want to check on-"

"Stay away from her!" Another minor god bravely stepped forwards, stepping up next to the first god with his bare hands gripped tightly in fear. "We won't let you kill her! Or _any more_ of us for that matter!"

"...Any more of you?" Leonidas questioned with a raised brow. "I haven't harmed _any_ of you-"

"You _can't_ lie to us, you _Titan-loving_ monster!" The second god jebbed his finger towards Leonidas in an accusatory manner. "Lord Zeus _told us_ w-what you did! How you've been going around killing _dozens_ of dying minor gods!" He shook his bearded head like a madman before picking up a chunk of the broken golden road and pointing it at Leonidas like a weapon. "No! We w-won't let you kill any more of us!"

Leonidas blinked in confusion. " _...What?_ But I haven't killed _any_ minor god-"

But he was cut off when a goddess, seemingly empowered upon seeing her fellow gods standing up, stepped forwards. She summoned some water that surrounded her clenched fists like gauntlets. "Lord Zeus told us _everything!_ " She glared at him with her watery features like dull eyes of a deep sea fish. "You're working with the Titans to kill us and destroy Olympus! And you've been the one responsible for the deaths of many minor gods!"

At this another god, this one round in shape, stepped in between her and Leonidas. Holding his arm in front of her protectively. "Stay back from him, Leucothea. You _heard_ what Lord Zeus said, this cursed mortal wishes to make all the goddesses his slaves and wives." He warned as his eyes moved from hers to glare at Leonidas. "He already _defiled_ Iynx after killing her in cold blood."

Leonidas was speechless, unable to utter a word as he looked at the small but quickly building opposition of minor gods and goddesses that aimed to defend their fellow goddess from him. He could tell that _none_ of them were warriors, or even armed for that matter, but that didn't stop them from picking up chunks of road or wielding staffs, books or wine goblets as weapons and preparing to face off against him.

The first minor god of shepherds took a step forward, this time pointing his curved staff closer to the center of Leonidas' chest. "You won't kill _any_ _more_ of us, you _Titan-loving_ bastard." He bravely stated, this time free of stutters. He took a half step forward. "If you try to kill _any_ more of us, you'll have to fight _all_ of us to do it."

Leonidas broke free from his speechlessness, keeping his hands held up in a calm surrender. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about," He started slowly, keeping him tone calm. "I don't mean you _any_ harm. I denounced my plans to destroy all of Olympus and kill all the gods on it when the Fates revealed to me my true path. They wish for me save-"

'CrrrBOOOOM!'

But he was cut off when an explosion like the moon striking earth sounded behind him. It didn't take his sharp mind any time to realize that the outer wall of Olympus had fallen. And that only meant _one thing_ …

 _...The Titans and Monsters were here._

The Son of Sparta didn't waste any time summoning his gauntlets that could level forests with one full-powered punch and his mighty warhammer that could crumble mountains with a single swing before immediately jumping towards the approaching horde of _Tartarus_ as he began to psyche himself up with animalistic yells.

He called forward his father's ability to overload his body with adrenaline and endorphins, the secret to his insane reflexes in battle and extreme tolerance to pain, causing his heart to pulse rapidly and his pupils to dilate into a large fire-like amber blaze. As well as overcharge his healing abilities and muscles, numb himself to pain, supercharge his senses and overload his heart to the point of fluctuations.

"Hrah. Hrah! _Hrah! Hraaah! HRAAAH!"_ He screamed as he psyched himself up before letting out a thundering animalistic bellow that shook the very cracking streets below his quaking steps and the very swirling mass of the heavens above him.

" _ **BrrroooAAAWWWRRR!**_ "

The small group of minor gods and goddesses watched in horror, their eyes transfixed to the display of sheer destruction and savagery the son of Heracles exhibited as he launched himself at the approaching Titan, his mighty warhammer above his head. Avoiding the wave of energy sent his way before dropping the Titan to his knees, crippling him as the femur in his right leg was reduced to mere dust by his mighty hammer.

The towering Titan let out a cry of pain but continued his assault, firing waves of white-hot energy at Leonidas' broken skin, determined to kill the mortal who had killed so many of his kind over the past few years.

Leonidas dashed through the attack behind his Nemean Lion cloak of legend as he bellowed with bestial rage. "RAAAWWWRRR!"

Rolling under another wave of radiating crimson energy, Leonidas grabbed the snout of a hellhound before it could clamp its foaming jaws around his leg with both hands and tore the chthonic beast of _Hades_ apart with so much force that the frothing hound was split apart down the middle. The Son of Sparta then threw one half of the mutilated corpse at an incoming Cyclops, knocking it to the war-torn ground before slamming the other dripping slab of flesh, bone and meat down upon another Monster.

Leonidas surveyed the improvised battlefield as he jumped from foe to foe with vicious savagery. Writhing, cracking and rotting corpses of the chthonic deep, ghosts, skeleton warriors and great flesh-eating serpents alike swarmed like ants from the earth as they clawed, chewed and forced themselves out of the cracking ground.

Waves of black, ancient seas that man had not seen in millennia crashed over the crumbling walls of Olympus as great beasts of the bygone depths and sea-serpents of immense size and almost primordial times burst like breaching dolphins from the ever-encompassing and ever-long river of the Primordial Oceanus that encircled the world and Olympus itself.

The very sky above him thundered as cracks appeared in the veil of heaven above, giving glimpses of the endless, unattainable and unfathomably black reality of the _Void_ , the realm of nothingness that all things, even Chaos, once came and will go once the Ta[estry of Fate deems it so.

Beasts of the earth, birds of the sky and leviathans of the deep encircled the crumbling walls of Olympus like shadows dancing around a candle, waiting for their opportunity to breach the city and slay all those that called it home before traveling down to the mortal world where they would destroy _all of humanity, and soon, the world._

But Leonidas would not let that happen, for he was...

Leonidas jumped at a monstrous beast that was an amalgamation of shark, octopus and crab when a giant serpentine head snaked around his torso before pulling him back and launched him through the air and landing on the crumbling golden roads like a meteor thrown by Ouranos himself.

Leonidas, due to his grossly weakening body, slowly struggled to his feet to find, to his utter horror, a _giant_ writhing form of a beautiful pregnant woman with the lower body of a snake at the edges of the once shimmering fallen walls of Olympus. She had glancing eyes like those that stalked unattended children from the shadows at night, speckled skin like that of a shimmering serpent of the desert and one hundred snapping snake heads sprouting from her torso like the very embodiments of Tantalus' insatiable desire to quench his unquenchable hunger and thirst. Her hideous, ever-changing lower body was a grotesque, sacreligious amalgamation of beasts of the field, birds of the air and monsters of the deep.

She grew to a height above _even the Hecatoncheires_ , some of the _largest_ giants on earth, past the stormy grey thunderclouds, blocking out the very stars from the blackened and swirling heavens. She opened her one hundred dripping, snapping and frothing gaping maws and unleashed a terrible cry like the very earth had been split apart by Tartarus himself as he cried from the deepest depths of the earth where not even Hades dared to venture. The ear-splitting titanic cry shook his cracking bones before the behemoth spewed a torrent of multi colored flames like the exhaust plumes of a rocket into the endless starry blackness of the heavens above them.

' **CrrrrrAAAAAHHHHH!'**

From inside her bulging, twisting and ready to burst stomach, Leonidas could see a swarming mass of forms like thousands of writhing maggots, climbing over one another and clawing to escape and fighting within her. The titanic female beast gave one last terrible bellow like a crashing continent before ten unique and recognizable Monsters burst from her oversized womb and splattered to the cracking golden road beneath her shaking form.

The first beast to reach its feet was a gigantic serpentine water Monster with poisonous breath and blood and nine massive snake heads all ravenous with insatiable hunger. The famous beast of legend; the **Lernaean Hydra**.

The second and third beasts were massive hounds of the chthonic depths with two and three heads, respectively. Which Leonidas easily identified as the protector of Geryon's cattle, **Orthrus** and the unrelenting guardian of _Hades_ itself, **Cerberus**.

The fourth was a grotesque combination of a gigantic roaring lion with a goat's head coming out of its back and a venomous snake for a tail; the **Chimera**.

The fifth was the immortal enemy of Leonidas and his father, Heracles. The beast had an impenetrable hide stronger than hardened steel, black onyx claws that could slice through man, horse or armor and glowing crimson eyes like rubies from the very pits of _Hades_ ; the **Nemean Lion**.

The sixth Monster immediately took to the air, flying high above the Son of Sparta where he could never hope to reach it. The very bird that tortured and tormented the imprisoned Prometheus; the **Caucasian Eagle**.

The seventh titanic beast was a mass of impenetrable shaggy brown fur and tusks hard enough to spear through the strongest blockade or toughest armor or shield; the **Crommyonian Sow**.

The eighth and ninth Monsters were beasts of the unsailed ocean depths. The first was a gigantic serpent with a massive crest and three flickering tongues, the original protector of the Golden Fleece; the **Colchian Dragon**. The ninth was a frightful sea Monster with four eyes and six long serpentine necks equipped with grisly heads, each of which contained three rows of razor-sharp serrated shark's teeth. Her body consisted of 12 tentacle-like legs and a cat's tail, while six snapping and growling dog heads ringed her waist like a belt. The Fabled beast of the depths; **Scylla**.

But the _tenth_ Monster, the tenth scared Leonidas the most. For it was a _true behemoth_ of a beast. A serpentine dragon large enough to coil around a mountain a hundred snapping and crying python heads, shimmering scales like indestructible copper and was several times larger in width than an air carrier. As the gigantic beast rose from the crumbling earth beneath its truly titanic weight, Leonidas couldn't help but take a step back and lower his indestructible warhammer in fear for the first time in his life. Because before him, _before him_ stood _the_ _single most powerful_ living Monster in the world, _second only_ to his monstrous father. A beast so _wholly_ and _truly_ powerful that it had _never_ been defeated in _all_ of history, be it by god or mortal. Not even, by _the_ most powerful hero and god to _ever_ walk the earth; Leonidas' father, Heracles. Even the Lord of Strength, with fists so mighty he could crumble Mount Etna, and a club so powerful he could create a canyon so deep it reached _Hades_ with only one strike to the earth, _dared not_ fight this legendary beast on his Labor. The terrifying, mighty, immortal, unkillable and unbeatable beast, the dragonic guardian of the Tree of Golden Apples and the most powerful child of Typhon himself;

 **Ladon**.

As the ten Monsters rose from the reeking fluid and film that covered them in their mother's womb, Leonidas' breath caught as he recognized the beast before him. Her ten monstrous children and horrifying appearance gave her away easily;

As the Mother of all Monsters, **Echidna**.

But the knowledge of the identities of his foes did not bring the Prince of Power fear or trepidation, but _reinvigorated_ his flaming spirit, filling his mind and soul with an incorruptible courage and fueled the burning fire of his desire to win at _any and all costs_ in his fluctuating heart. Because in his mind, the Fates _wished_ him to succeed this day, so if they put these obstacles on his path to save the world from Zeus and his ways, then he could _no doubt_ overcome them as he had _any_ hardship, challenge or Labor in his miserable life. He was _destined_ to kill Zeus and Ares, defend Olympus and Camp Half-Blood from the Titans and change the gods and the _very course_ of the Tapestry of Fate for the better! There was no _thought,_ no _fear,_ no _chance_ of defeat in his mind! For he was the chosen mortal guardian of the world, the man _destined_ by the Fates and Chaos herself to save the world this day.

The unbeatable, unkillable, unwavering and unyielding Leonidas, the mortal who was hidden as a boy and trained to destroy, kill and conquer, though he wished to save, protect and love, he who had fought past the creeping, crushing grip of Fate to obtain his destiny. The father and husband who fought not for himself, but in order to protect and save those he had never met from the self-destroying imbecilic gods on high. Chosen protector of the world, son of Heracles, Legacy of Zeus and Athena and mortal lover of the Titaness Eos and father of the demi-titan Astraea, was the _last hope_ for humanity and the world. The last soldier, the wayward son, the man too stubborn to let himself fail the world.

He was Leonidas… and he could _not_ lose, for he, was…

"For my mother!" He cried to the thundering heavens as he raised his cracking warhammer in his shaking gauntlet covered and thunder tearing apart the sky as he shouted. " _For my father! FOR SPARTA!_ _ **FOR ALL OF HUMANITY! FOR AS LONG AS I BREATHE. I. SHALL. NEVER. YIELD!**_ " He thrust his mighty warhammer in the sky, calling upon his father's power that he was not sure he could summon, and the heavens above him tore in two like Ouranos himself split them apart, a trembling beam of raw, unbridled, white-hot energy like the power of a hundred imploding suns bore down like a laser beam in front of Leonidas and tore apart the crumbled golden road in front of him.

" _ **FOR I AM THE CHAMPION OF MANKIND LIKE MY FATHER BEFORE ME! MORTAL DEFENDER OF THE WEAK, PROTECTOR OF HUMANITY, THE SAVIOR! OF! OLYMPUS! THE VERY DEFENDER OF THE EARTH!"**_ He lowered his vibrating and splintering warhammer to point at his foes, the beam of radiating energy rushing to them like a shooting star. " _ **IF YOU WISH TO DESTROY THE WORLD THIS DAY, THEN YOU! MUST! SLAY! ME! FIRST!**_ "

The very foundations of Olympus shattered under his armored boots that melted from the sheer heat of the energy around him as it impacted the army of legendary Monsters like an out of control planet. " _ **FOR I AM LEONIDAS DIONE REED! AND I! WILL!**_ _ **NEVER!**_ _**YIELD!**_ "

With that thundering cry, he alone tore down the liquidizing golden streets to face off ten on the strongest Monsters in _all_ the Greek world. He focused his energy to further supercharge his body's adrenaline and endorphin output to the _absolute maximum_ , fully knowing of the dangers he was posing to his already severely weakened heart. But he was _destined_ to achieve his Fate this day, so he continued to move forwards as he did every day of his trialing life. As a Spartan always marched forward, never back. And he could not _afford_ to step back in fear, the _world_ could not afford it. So he ran as fast as his shaking legs could take him to his Fate.

The mortal of Might let out a mighty bellow as he leapt into the fray. " _ **BrrroooAAAWWWRRR!**_ "

As he tore open the stomach of the Lernaean Hydra with the spiked end of his warhammer and simultaneously kicked Orthrus several dozen feet back, caving in the dogs' snout in the process, Leonidas felt a presence enter his mind, an unknown presence. Unlike Eos or the auditory hallucinations of his mother and father's words he heard in his mind as he fought the horde. One he had never felt before but felt familiar… almost like a long lost relative.

As the giant man bravely fought off the coming horde of Immortal beasts, he saw rippling flashes of multicolored light like shimmering peacock feathers gather around the corners of his blurry vision. And then, as he thrust his bloodied blade through Cerberus' chest he saw the Queen of Olympus in his mind. She spoke to him from inside his very soul as he protected the small group of minor gods and goddesses from a ravenous Scylla.

"Leonidas Dione Reed, in honor of and appreciation for you risking your own life to protect Olympus and the world, I am here to offer you aid." He could see her frown from inside his mind, like she was apprehensive about what she was about to do. "Unfortunately, the Council does not know of your true honor as I do, so you will not be able to receive the same aid as Perseus. Only Artemis, Apollo, Athena and I agreed to offer you our aid, and I am afraid that the rest of the Council, especially my husband, will _never_ align with you, even to protect Olympus."

The image of her in his mind focused on her tear-ridden face, her bottom lip quivering uncontrollably. "Leonidas, my grandson, I am _truly_ sorry that I, the Goddess of Family, could not be there for you when you lost yours at such a young age." Her face tensed and her eyes began to shine with fresh tears. "But I _promise_ you that I will help you protect your new family. _No matter_ the cost." As she spoke, he could start to feel the all too familiar pain in his body start to numb before quickly fleeting entirely. He had to stop momentarily after killing Cerberus and Orthrus to take a deep breath and revel in the sensation of _not_ being in crippling pain for the first time in as long as he could remember.

The Son of Strength gripped his gauntlet covered fist, testing his newfound strength. Noticing that the damage he had already sustained from fighting the ten Monsters before him fully healed, leaving no scars or bruises on his glowing, ethereal skin.

"Though it is _far_ too late and small of an apology for failing you like I failed your father," Hera continued in his mind as he felt strength, strength he had _never_ felt before, flow through his adrenaline-filled veins. "I, Hera, Queen of Olympus, Goddess of Heroes, Kings, Marriage and Protector of Family, welcome you, Leonidas Dione Reed, _at last_ , to the Immortal family of Olympus." She reached out her hand inside his mind, the delicate hand glowing with shimmering lights like peacock feathers as it made contact with him. "You are a demigod of Olympus now, so we shall protect you as you do us."

Leonidas' softly glowing skin began to suddenly radiate an ethereal, bright amber glow like a great fire was burning deep inside of him. He felt his shoulders lighten under the weight of his armor and cloak, the burning pain in his body completely gone, the numbness in his hands no more, his blurry and slurred vision perfect. He had to suck a quick breath as his heart began to beat faster and faster as his body became overcharged with power. Around him, the Monsters halted at the sight of beacons of light like shimmering stars burst into the heavens above his head. The shimmering symbols of Hera, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Heracles and Hebe crackled into being like forming supernovas in the endless abyss above his shimmering body.

The Mortal of Might looked up to the burning holograms of energy above him with shimmering bright amber eyes like a crackling fire in the snowy winter night. It might not have been _all of Olympus_ , but these six Olympians knew of his honor enough to use the remainder of their limited power to aid him in his pursuit to save them, protect the world and obtain his Fate. A sacrifice he was _**not**_ willing to let be done in vain. In return for their approval and appreciation, he would protect Olympus and the world, with his _life_ if need be.

Three powerful and old as time presences appeared inside his mind. Their three hoarse with age voices began to speak to him in perfect sync, as if they were one being with one mind. Their ancient voices fading out as the power inside him increased a hundred-fold, the very golden streets below him melting from the very power radiating from his glowing Olympian skin.

"This is our gift to you, our Champion… For until it is your time to ascend into the heavens among the stars…" Their three unison voices became softer than a whisper as they faded into the wind. "...You shall be…"

The building and swirling energy around Leonidas erupted like a collapsing neutron star and exploded in all directions as he thundered towards the invading army, his mighty warhammer held high in his gauntlet covered fists. "...Immortal."

 **~Just a Page Break reminding you to follow me on Twitter~**

 **~With Percy in the Throne Room~**

" _We offer you this, our Champions…" The glow became blinding and he felt as if he was being ripped apart atom by atom._ "The Blessing of Olympus."

Percy's entire body was radiating with power, so much so that he could not even fully register the gods pouring their power into him.

Artemis nodded her head to him in acknowledgement and respect. "Thank you for always standing up for us, Percy. Now, let us do what we can to help you." She raised her head as Apollo stepped up next to her. "I, Artemis, goddess of the Hunt,Maidens and Archery offer to you the Agility and Accuracy of a Hunter. Let your aim be true, be it with a bow or sword or trident."

Next, her brother Apollo joined in. "Percy, for always helping me and the gods without promise of reward, and even saving my little sis all those years ago, I, Apollo of Delphi, god of Healing, Music and Archery give you the power to heal yourself from any non-lethal injury."

Poseidon stepped up next to his son, bringing with him the smell of a salty breeze. "My son, you have no idea how proud I am of you. I offer to you the unbridled power of the seas, use it to command the very seas and earth."

Hermes spoke up next. "I grant you enhanced speed, use it to take out your enemies before they can even see you coming."

Demeter joined next, a grain of dying wheat clutched in her hand tightly. "Young Perseus, I give to you Rejuvenation, let it aid you as you fight in our stead."

"Peter Johnson, I bestow to you Alertness and a Calm Mind." Dionysus said with a hint of a smile on his face as he eyed Percy. "Use it to keep your head in this fight so that we can keep our lives."

The god of the Underworld floated up next, raising his pale hand over Percy's head. "For everything you have done to help my children, nephew, _though regretfully_ , I offer you a one-time protection from dying. Use it well, you shall not receive this again." He warned.

Aphrodite, with tears on her perfect face, placed an immaculately manicured hand over him. "I offer you the greatest gift of all, Percy, the ability to protect your loved ones, no matter the cost."

"I give you Strength and a Calculating Mind." Hephaestus the Lord of the Forge said after his wife.

A young girl of about eight stepped up to Percy next. She was in a brown earthen dress and worn a pained face as the eldest god. "Percy, to repay you for everything you have done for us and this world, _though it is nowhere near enough_ , I give to you the power to Protect your Home. Let Olympus empower you in order to defend it."

The Queen of the Gods spoke up next, her voice slightly trembling as she watched Percy shake in pain as the power of thirteen of the fifteen Olympian gods poured into him. "I, Hera, Queen of the Gods, offer you the ability to know what to do when the time is right."

After what felt like an eternity, Percy slowly rose to his feet, aided by Apollo and Artemis. Percy looked to the Queen of the Gods and almost asked about the vision of Leonidas fighting Echidna and her children when Hera gave him the slightest shake of her head. Wordlessly telling him not to bring up Leonidas around Zeus and Ares who still sat on their thrones, not offering Percy any aid. Hera then briefly spoke to Percy in his mind telling him that both he and Leonidas are needed on the frontlines to defend Olympus, so he should hurry over there. Percy decided to not answer in his mind, but out loud.

"...Annabeth…" He wheezed, out of breath. "I need… to see her."

As Percy quickly caught his breath, Apollo summoned Asclepius to bring Annabeth to the Throne Room. Athena argued that it was the safest place on Olympus and would most likely be the last line of defense should everything else fall. So when she appeared motionless and asleep on a bed of silk next to the God of Doctors, Percy and Athena ran to check up on her.

Percy let Athena get to her daughter first, fighting against all his urges to rush to Annabeth. He could hear Athena whisper to Annabeth in her sleep, but he chose not to listen to them to protect her privacy. After a half minute Athena stood, and with a sharp nod to Artemis and Apollo, the Goddess summoned her spear and shield in preparation to defend Olympus with the others, even in their powerless state.

The walk up to his wise girl felt like an eternity, like it would never end. But the brief time he spent next to her, even if it lasted a lifetime, would never be enough. Percy, gently as he could, placed a shaking hand under the bottom of her shirt to feel her stomach. He could see Eileithyia the Goddess of Childbirth who had been looking after their child watch him with a hopeful expression. She stepped forward slightly, took his hand and repositioned it over a tiny, so small you could miss it, bump. Percy felt as if time stopped in that second, the baby was so small, too small and young to feel move, barely even the size of a strawberry inside of her, but this was the first time he has met his… child.

Even the word felt foreign on his tongue, like he couldn't believe it. But he smiled nonetheless, hoping more than anything that he could meet the small person growing inside of her one day. With a shaky, barely audible voice, just above a whisper, he spoke as his other hand rested on Annabeth's cold cheek; "Hello, little one, this is your daddy. _I promise you_ , _whoever_ you are, that I will protect you… with _everything_ I have." He told the child via a whisper even though it could not hear him. "I'm your dad, and that means I'd move Olympus or _Hades_ for you. So you just wait with mommy, okay? I have to go save the world."

Artemis silently put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "You'll be a _wonderful_ father, Percy. I can tell." Her voice dropped its comforting tone. "But it's time to go, the Walls of Olympus have fallen."

Silently, Percy stroked Annabeth's golden hair before placing a light kiss on her forehead. Turning to Artemis, he let out a breath before summoning his Trident to his hand. "Protect them," He begged with his eyes. "Just in case-"

"You have my word, Percy. I will protect them as I would my own." The auburn haired goddess then leaned in close to his ear as Apollo stepped forwards, blocking the action from the other gods bar Hera and Eileithyia. "Only Hera, Apollo, Athena and I know you brought Leonidas here. Join him at the outer wall and keep him away from the Throne Room, Zeus and Ares _cannot_ know he is here."

Percy gave her a miniscule nod in reply, moving past Annabeth's sleeping form to the exit and out of the golden building, his Trident in one hand as Riptide sat comfortably in the other. Once he was outside he saw dozens of minor gods lined up on either side of the road, all looking to him like their savior. It made his heart sink a little, he didn't ever ask to be a hero, but if his family and the world needed one, then he would be one.

Just this one last time. Because next time…

...it was someone else's turn…

...And he thought: Gods help them…

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" _ **BrrroooAAAWWWRRR!**_ "

And there Leonidas was. Percy knew he wouldn't be hard to find. All you have to do is look for the golden building falling and being thrown like baseballs and listen for the bellows.

But to say that Percy was surprised of the condition he found Leonidas in was putting it mildly. The Son of the Seas had to pause when he turned a corner around a burning golden building and found the man he thought of like a brother holding back _Ladon_ of all Monsters with a single beefy hand as the other was held protectively behind him where a group of roughly a dozen or so minor gods and goddesses were shrieking in fear. Some were even throwing wine goblets and leather bound books at the Monster to no avail.

With altered speed granted to him by Hermes, Percy rushed forward, his Trident above his head before slamming the the three prongs down on the ground below him. The gold covered earth erupted into the air, bringing with it the remaining few Monsters, bar Ladon who was far too large and heavy to move that easily.

"Brother!" Leonidas shouted in greeting as Percy approached, the minor gods around him calming as he neared. "We need to get these gods out of here! They're in danger!"

"Right," Percy nodded as he faced off with Leonidas against Ladon who had yet to move, it didn't seem like he was so keen on fighting because Echidna, his mother, asked him to. Which was probably the only reason why Olympus still stood. He looked to the group of minor gods. "All of you get out of here! We'll hold the Monsters back long enough for you to reach the Throne Room. The Council is there and will protect you! Go!"

Two gods scooped up a goddess who had been lying motionless on the ground and the group ran off towards the Throne Room. All except on minor god Percy didn't recognize. He looked like a farmer and held a long shepherd's staff. "Thank you, Leonidas." He said to the giant man, a smile on his bearded face. "We will repay you for saving us one day, you have our word." With that, the minor god left and Leonidas and Percy were left alone at the edge of Olympus, standing opposite an endless horde of Monsters as large as Oceanus was long. The army stood still like phantoms, waiting for an unknown signal to swarm like ants over Olympus.

The Son of Sparta popped his neck and let his warhammer rest of his shoulder, Percy only now noticing the shimmering, ethereal glowing aura around the giant man. "Y-you're Immortal!" he exclaimed, happy for his friend. "How did you find the Garden of the Tree of Golden Apples of Immortality? Did one of the minor gods know where it was?"

The titanic man shook his head, the shimmering mane of the Nemean Lion Skin cloak swaying from the motion. "No, they did not know where it was. But they did tell me that Zeus had ordered _all_ of his soldiers to guard it from me." A low growl like echoing thunder escaped his lips. "You and I wondered where all the guards were and why they weren't defending Olympus when we arrived, brother. Now we know that Zeus would rather prevent me from gaining Immortality than protect his people and city."

Percy let a breath out of his nose, he feared Zeus would do something like this. Prioritize stopping Leonidas out of spite rather than work with them. "But how did you become Immortal then?" He asked, nodding to Leonidas' glowing skin.

Leonidas smirked as he readjusted the fit of his harness that held his cloak. "It would seem that I was right all along, brother…" He faced Percy before looking up to the cracking heavens above them. "The Fate Sisters chose me as their Champion, to protect Olympus and change the world for the better. And in return, they granted me Immortality until I achieve my Fate. Then, with the battle over and the Monsters and Titans vanquished, I shall steal a Golden apple for Eos and Astraea, my daughter, so that they can both become Immortal. And then, we shall travel into Eos' realm in the sky past the edges of Oceanus among the stars forever. Living out the rest of eternity out in peaceful harmony, I shall no longer have to fight, Eos will no longer have to fear her father, Hyperion, coming back to power, and Astraea will get to grow up in a world free of sin, hate and war." A calm, truly happy smile washed over his chiseled face." It will be… paradise. I cannot wait to see it. I will _finally_ be able to rest."

After a few seconds, Percy smiled to his friend before hitting him on the shoulder. "And I can't wait for you to be able to have that either, Leonidas. Fates know you deserve it after everything they've put you through."

The giant man nodded. "Yes, but until then we have a battle to fight. Let us show this horde of _Tartarus_ the power of the two strongest demigods in history." He then raised his oversized hammer above his head, the sky crackling with energy as he swung it. "FOR OLYMPUS!" The giant man bellowed as he barreled like an out of control freight train at the opposing army.

"FOR OLYMPUS!" Percy parroted him, running alongside his brother as the army of Monsters broke into a wave of flesh, bone and teeth as they started to run as well.

With steps that shook the very foundations of Olympus and the earth, Leonidas leaped into the air like a missile and launched himself down upon the breaking ground with an impact that felt that Atlas had dropped the sky.

Percy, feeling an immense pull in his gut, calling upon the endless river of Oceanus that surrounded Olympus and created a wave that towered over Mount Etna before launching the literal seas' worth of water at the countless army of Monsters, washing away hundreds of Hellhounds and Cyclops.

But the waves of Monsters never stopped coming, for every dozne Hellhounds Leonidas slew, a Hydra appeared and took far more effort to kill than the beasts of the Underworld. "We need a torch so we can cauterize the heads!" Leonidas yelled as he used his immense strength to strangle one of the Hydra's heads. Percy was about to ask where they'd get a fire when a flaming arrow shot past his head and struck just next to Leonidas in the Hydra's neck. Turning on the spot, Percy found, to his surprise, Artemis and Apollo both aiming arrows at the Hydra as Hephaestus lit the cotton covered heads on fire with small flames that danced in his palms.

"Artemis!" Percy yelled, honestly happy to see his friend. He and Leonidas were doing fine for now, but they were quickly being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Monsters invading the city. Not to mention the few Monsters and beasts that Percy could tell we _not_ Greek or Roman in origin but did not recognize.

"We have come to offer our aid, Percy!" She yelled back as she drew her arrow. "Now get down!" She and her brother released their flaming arrows in unison and Percy was surprised to see when the twin arrows burst into countless dozens. Forming a cloud of arrows so think they blocked out the starry heavens above them.

The endless hordes shrieked and cried in pain as thousands of arrows rained down and embedded themselves in every available inch of flesh they could find. A good chunk of the army had fallen, but still Percy could not see the end of it.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye he saw a have of energy fire at him, but before he had the time to react a blur shot in front of the attack and deflected it. The blur stopped to reveal Hermes with Athena held in his arms, her indestructible shield Aegis strapped to her arm as she deflected another wave of energy cast by a Titan and turned said Titan to stone with the image of Medusa' face on her shield. Hermes gently put Athena on her feet before running to Percy so fast that he could have been mistaken for teleporting.

"Olympus stands as one," The Messenger God spoke as he nodded to where Dionysus, Demeter and Hades were standing, calling upon tree roots and shadows to entangle, ensnare and suffocate their foes. From next to the Lord of the Dead, Percy could see a beautiful Goddess with flowers in her hair controlling plants alongside Demeter, it wasn't hard to recognize her as Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld. "If you are willing to fight off this army alone, then we will fight alongside you."

Percy marveled when Hephaestus called forward a small army of armored automatons that ran into battle, he had to pause when minor gods left and right _Flashed_ in and began sending waves of energy, throwing books and wine goblets and even a small statue of Zeus at the endless army. "But- but you're all at risk!" Percy yelled, fearing for the safety of the gods and goddesses. They were all on the brink of death, if even one of the Titans or powerful Monsters landed a hit on them, _they would die_.

"Well we can't very well disagree with _her_ , can we?" Hermes then nodded behind him and Percy followed his eyes to where a literal mountainrange worth of fire was being formed around the inner walls of the city. Percy could make out Hephaestus, Hades and who he assumed were a few of their Immortal children helping generate the fire. But a tiny, child-size figure stood a hundred feet up it the size a top a pillar of fire. Her earthen brown dress smoking as she shot torrents of flame at the Monsters attempting to invade her city and kill her family.

It was Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth and the First and Last Olympian. With a swirl of her tiny, flame-coated hands, she sent a tornado of flame at the Colchian Dragon and trapped it in a swirling vortex of fire.

From over the barking heads of Hellhounds jumped what Percy at first glance assumed to be Centaurs, but as they got closer Percy was able to see that the Monsters had horse bodies with human torsos sprouting out of their backs. The human torsos wielded burning spears as they charged towards the city. But what surprised Percy the most about them was that they had no skin or hair or fur whatsoever. The Monsters were just exposed flesh and muscle.

"Those are Nuckelavee," Leonidas shouted as he dropped next to Percy and Hermes from the lifeless body of the decapitated Hydra. "This isn't good."

"Why's that?" Percy asked. "I've never seen them before."

"That's because they're Scottish beasts, part of the Norse world. Their breath can cause plants to wilt and animals to get sick." Leonidas explained quickly, watching as a dozen more Nuckelavee burst out of the water at the edges of the city. "They're water demons, so they will not be harmed by your waves, no matter how strong they are."

"Guess it's gotta be the hard way, then."

"Wait," Hermes cut in, looking to Leonidas with a confused and somewhat fearful expression. "I thought that you were fighting _with_ the Titans and Monsters?"

"Where did you hear that?" Percy asked as he stomped, causing earth skikes to skewer a few Nuckelavee. "Leonidas agreed to fight with us to protect Olympus and the world weeks ago."

Hermes blinked, apparently confused. He scratched his head as he dodged a Monster with his lightning fast speed that Leonidas crushed under a hand, embedding the unknown Monster into the ground. "...But Lord Zeus told us that he had been siding with the Titans all along." He told Percy slowly, watching as Leonidas defended them with his Nemean Lion Cloak when a blast of energy shot their way. "He said that Leonidas tricked you into befriending him and that he'd betray you and hand Olympus over to the Titans."

Percy blinked once, then twice, then again. "...Yeah that's a load of bull." He said as he stabbed a Nuckelavee with the prongs of his trident. He twisted the weapon before pulling it from the beast that burst into a cloud of black shadows. "Zeus is-"

But before he could tell Hermes that Zeus was lying all along, Ladon, who had seemingly decided that attacking them was a better option then being eaten by his mother, Echidna who was being peppered by flaming arrows from Apollo and Artemis, launched himself at the demigods.

'RAAAAAGHHH!' The Monster bellowed as it shot itself forwards. Percy was about to raise up a giant wll of earth and water to block the attack when Leonidas burst forward like a berserker, his gauntlet covered fist pulling back in preparation for a punch.

"Have at thee, beast!" The Mortal of Might screamed as they neared. Then, at the last second he launched his beefy fist at the titanic serpent with the force of the falling heavens and launched the great beast back onto the army. After the dust settled Percy ran up to leonidas, worried about the backlash of his immense power but he was happily surprised to find that Leonidas was perfectly fine, not even a single hair on top of his head was out of place.

Leonidas looked down to his hand, a smile slowly forming on his face. "My body… no longer bends to the will of my strength…" He tested his fingers and was surprised when they moved the second they asked him to. "...I… have no drawbacks to my strength… I can fight at my true power…"

Percy smiled as well, walking up the man and brandishing his Trident, ready for a good fight. "Then let's go see what you can do, Leonidas." He paused to grip his hand and tightly shook it. "It's time for the Champions of Olympus to show these Titans and Monsters what they can do."

 **~Thanks to W.R Winters for suggesting Nuckelavee on Twitter!~**

Everything was going fine until Zeus heard that Leonidas was on Olympus by some minor gods and joined the fight with the intention of killing Leonidas himself.

Leonidas only survived the strike by Zeus' Master Bolt thanks to his temporary Immortality, if not for that he would have died on the spot. Not even he or Percy could survive an attack by the Master Bolt. Crouching under his Nemean Lion Skin cloak and summoning his enchanted bow, Leonidas jumped to the side the second Zeus stopped his attack and shot an arrow at the god just for him to dodge at the last second. But Leonidas' arrow managed to cut off a good inch of the god's neatly trimmed beard.

" _YOU!_ " Zeus' voice was like bristling venom as he charged up for another attack. "I'll kill you!"

Leonidas jumped to the side to avoid another lightning bolt, he wasn't sure if his body could take a hit from the Master Bolt without taking massive damage, and he wasn't about to find out. "What did I ever do to you, anyway?!" Leonidas yelled back as he shot another arrow that embedded itself in the god's left shoulder.

Zeus bellowed with rage and pain as his electricity-covered fist gripped the arrow and pulled it free of his flesh. "You _DARE_ to usurp me, you vile Titan-loving bastard!"

Leonidas spun on the spot to avoid another blot. "Take it up with the Fate Sisters!" He yelled back, trying his best to keep Zeus angry, that way he'd make more mistakes. "They're the ones who think you should die!"

"ARGH!" Zeus yelled as lightning and air danced off of him, destroying several buildings around the two. Luckily Leonidas had been able to draw Zeus away from the main group of minor gods, he didn't want them getting caught up in a bolt of lightning by mistake, and he didn't have many doubt that Zeus didn't care about collateral damage.

Zeus looked like he was about to scream something else when Leonidas launched himself forward with inhuman speed, summoned his sword and with a flick of his wrist severed the hand that had been holding the Master Bolt.

Zeus let out a scream that shook the very foundations of the earth as his left hand clutched the bloody stump where his hand used to be. He didn't get to catch his breath because Leonidas immediately followed up with his next attack only for Zeus to swat his sword away with an electric-covered backhand.

Not wasting a second because a single second could change the course of battle and the world, Leonidas rushed at the King of the Gods, performing a series of high speed punches and kicks. Leonidas relished in the feeling of snapping ribs as he punched the god with his massive fist. He felt an immense sense of pride when he grabbed the god by his hair and brought his face down to meet his armor-covered knee. He felt that he was giving the god what he deserved when he felt his jaw dislocate as teeth and blood spewed from his face. The god fell to the ground, covered in his own blood.

"That's for Thalia," Leonidas mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. "You're _by far_ the worst father in existence." When the god groaned as he tried to lift himself off the ground, Leonidas sent a savage kick to his nether regions, causing all the wind in his lungs to flee as he crumbled to the ground, holding himself.

"And that's for Hera, you unfaithful bastard." Leonidas grunted as he rolled the god over with his foot. "Old me would have cut wandering dick off and forcefully fed it to you…" He warned darkly, ignoring Zeus' groans as he struggled to get up. "Luckily for you I have sworn off all unnecessary violence. I'll let the Fate Sisters decide if that was unnecessary or not." He knelt down to the god and opened his mouth to speak but was blasted by a sudden bolt of lightning and sent flying back through the doors to the Olympian Throne Room. Zeus tried to force himself up with one hand, but couldn't, falling to the crumbling ground in pain.

Leonidas rose to his feet to find himself face to face with Aphrodite and Ares who stood in front of her protectively. "Well well well…" The God of War mumbled as he drew his flaming sword from his sheath, pushing Aphrodite back towards the thrones. "The bastard son of Fish-Face said you're the strongest fighter on earth…" A vicious sneer sprouted on his face as flames engulfed his body. "Let's see if you live up to the hype, you hotshot."

" _Ares!_ " The hatred in Leonidas' voice was enough to kill. He would have summoned his sword but his weapons did not return to him, so he instead clenched his gauntlet-covered fists in preparation for a fight. "I see the Fates favor me this day, giving me the second god I need to kill right after the first." He dropped to a perfect boxing stance. "And let's see if some farm kid from Kansas can kill the God of War. Shouldn't be too hard," he insulted, causing Ares to snort in rage. "I even considered taking your throne as a child to prove my might before I realized that killing you wouldn't be that impressive."

"GraaaAAAGGGHHH!" Ares roared as he swung his msiive, fiery sword at the demigod. Leonidas easily dodged the predictable attack and countered by punching Ares in the back and throwing him back a dozen feet. The god fought like a crazed animal, all rage, no strategy, like he did when he lost himself to his Curse. Leonidas smirked, this would be _easier_ than he thought.

"I heard you blame me for causing the deaths of, hm, _what_ were their names again?" The god raised his finger to his chin in mock thought as he dodged Leonidas' punch. "Ah, _that's right_ , the Johnsons."

Leonidas let out a low growl like an airplane engine starting up. "You keep their name out of your filthy mouth!" He sent a wild punch at the god's face but it was countered when Ares stabbed him with a hidden enchanted godly dagger, tearing a red streak down Leonidas' large bicep.

"Come at me, bastard." Ares mumbled under his breath as he readied another hidden blade. Then he yelled, "How about I kick your ass and head on down to the Underworld and pay that girl of yours a visit?" He let out a dark chuckle as Leonidas growled again. "Her name was _Mary_ , right-"

'BAAAM!'

Leonidas sent the god back into the wall with a powerful punch. When he tried to get up he threw the god back against the wall and drove his mighty fist into Ares' cracking ribs. "RAAAHHH!" Leonidas bellowed in rage as he sent another combo of powerful kicks and punches at the god, driving him into the marble walls. "Speak her name again and I will kill your godly children after I kill you!" Leonidas threatened darkly in his rage. "The world would be better off without them as well!"

"No!" A feminine voice cut him off from behind. Leonidas turned on the spot to find Aphrodite who was quivering next to her throne, a small dagger made by Hephaestus in her hands. "I can't let you do that, Leonidas! Some of his children are _my_ children too! I won't let you harm my children!"

Leonidas didn't have time to respond before Ares summoned an enchanted dagger and stabbed it at Leonidas' neck. But eh Mortal of Might caught his arm at the last second, snapped it behind his back with all his considerable strength, pried the blade from his grip and running it through his heart within a second. Leonidas twisted and then snapped the blade in the god's chest before roughly throwing him to the ground, causing Aphrodite to shriek.

Leonidas stepped around the fallen god with his hands raised in a sign of non aggression. "I will not kill your children, Aphrodite. Do not worry." He told her calmly. "I will not harm the son for the sins of his father."

The very next second a burly figure hobbled into the room and stood protectively in front of the goddess. Hephaestus the God of the Forge brandished an immaculate sword as he balanced on his bum leg. "You will get no further, you monster! I won't let you lay a finger on my wife!"

But the goddess, after placing a calming hand on her husband's shoulder and giving it a light pat, stepped around her deformed husband and took a step towards the demigod. "Do not worry, husband, he means me no harm." He looked from Hephaestus to the giant mortal. "Do you, Leonidas?"

Leonidas slowly shook his head, the lion mane ruffling from the motion. "...No, I do not." He let his gauntlets transform back into his many tattoos before taking a slow step forward.

The beautiful goddess looked to him with a saddened expression, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know why you wish me dead, Leonidas. And you have every reason to. I am sorry for cursing Eos, I truly am and I am _more than willing_ to lift the curse."

Leonidas didn't say anything, or even react, so she continued. "But you should know that I was _not_ to blame and had _nothing_ to do with the Empousa in Las Vegas and the sex trafficking ring in Texas." The stunning goddess took a slight step forward, biting her lower lip. "That, what those men were doing to those girls, was _not love_. What they did, twisted and distorted what I try to fight for." She slightly shook her head, her hair swaying from the motion. "I for one think they got what they deserved when you killed them."

"Death should never be the answer," Leonidas spoke up for the first time in a short while. "It should only be done when there is _no other_ choice. I could have captured them, freed the girls and turned them in instead of slaughtering them."

The goddess nodded but raised a perfect eyebrow. "But would you have been able to face those girls?"

The giant man hesitated for a few seconds before finally answering. "...No, I couldn't have. Even if I weren't lost in rage, I think I still would have killed them for their horrid deeds."

"But you still want me dead because of what Love has done to the world, don't you?"

Leonidas took a full minute to answer, thinking back on his life and the women who shaped it. "No, I don't." He finally answered before narrowing his eyes sharply. "I will let you live, but only under _one condition_."

"Name it!" Was her quick reply.

He nodded his head to her husband who stood sword in hand as he watched with a confused expression. "Stay faithful to your husband, bed no other man or woman, nymph or giant. Be loyal to the so-called love you serve." He relaxed his expression and took a step forward. "Be a shining example of the Love that exists in the world, the very love I have seen these past few months that have opened my eyes to the pure, unadulterated love shown by Hebe, Persephone and your daughter, Piper. All beautiful women who have been through terrible experiences but have remained faithful to their partners out of their love for them."

He took another step forward, his hands up in surrender to Hephaestus who still held his sword. "Be the Love that they, and _countless_ others over the centuries, have fought for, do that, and I shall never visit you again."

The beautiful goddess hesitated for a second before grabbing her husband's hand and giving it a squeeze as she gave him a nod. She then looked at Leonidas who towered over her. "I agree, Leonidas. I shall do my best to change the Love in this world for the better."

Leonidas let a small smile grace the corner of his lips. "That is all I ask. Now," He turned from them and began walking out of the Throne Room. "I have a Fate to achieve."

"I wish you a long, loving life with Eos, Leonidas." She muttered as he got out of earshot, tears forming in her eyes. "For all of eternity."

 **~Remember to Follow, Favorite and Review~**

Percy had no idea where Leonidas ran off to a while ago, but he's sure glad he came back just in time to catch the frozen fist of a giant made purely out of ice.

Percy uncovered his head to find Leonidas had caught the massive fist in his own. The large man gave the giant a smirk before launching it back and shattering it into a million pieces with his mighty warhammer.

"Where were you?" Percy yelled over as he dodged the last Titan's strike. The Titan was about to pivot on the spot to attack Percy again but he was suddenly gripped from behind by Leonidas' massive hand and had his head squeezed until it burst like a boated grape. Percy wiped the Titan blood and guts from his face with the back of his hand. "Gross."

"I fought Zeus and Ares." Leonidas said simply, dodging Ladon's colossal tail as he swung it at the demigods. He was, unsurprising, the last Monster standing. Most of the Monsters had fled when the majority of the Titans had been killed, the rest were killed by the small army of gods and goddesses that were at the edge of the city. Ladon had pushed Percy further into the city into a deserted, destroyed section. Percy for one was glad to have Leonidas back with him, Ladon wasn't going to be easy to kill. He honestly wasn't even sure if it was _possible_ because he was one of the only Monsters in the Greek world that had never been beaten or slain.

Percy's eyes widened as he too dodged the massive tail. He sent a wave of stone and water at the giant serpentine dragon but it had no effect. "Did you kill them both?"

Leonidas shook his head as he fired a dozen arrows at the Monster only for them to harmless bounce off. "I killed Ares with my bare hands, but Zeus blasted me away before I could. I'll find him later." He muttered ominously.

Again Leonidas blocked a swipe of the massive tail with his considerable strength and Nemean Lion Skin cloak from hitting Percy as the latter demigod summoned all of the broken pieces of stone, earth and brick into the air. As they rose, they began to swirl like the cosmos as he added a literal sea worth of ancient, black water to the mix. As Leonidas blocked another attack from hitting him, Percy thrust his Trident in the air and the heavens around them rumbled as if Atlas had dropped the sky.

"Give me a minute, brother!" Leonidas shouted over the cacophonous roars of the dragon. "Let me gave energy so that I can hit this beast with an attack right after you!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

The colossal man dodged and weaved as he sent dozens of haymakers at the dragons' torso, but this only seemed to mildly annoy the mighty beast, because it swatted Leonidas away as if he were a gnat.

Percy collected more and more stone and water into the swirling heavens as he too dodged the dragon. Even from his spot on the other side of the clearing, Percy could sense the sheer amount of power Leonidas was storing up for his final attack. Percy only hoped that he put his all into it, or Ladon wouldn't go down. But he stopped himself from thinking further, this was _Leonidas_ he was talking about, that man always put his all into _everything_ he did.

Letting out a bellow from the other side of the clearing, closest to the Throne Room, Leonidas wordless told Percy he was ready as he shot more arrows at the dragon to distract it. So with the largest pull in his gut that he had _ever_ felt, Percy let down the ocean worth of water and mountain range worth of stone down upon the mighty dragon with a shout, slamming his Trident into the ground.

"HAAAHHH!"

Ladon let out a terrifying scream as it was impacted with enough weight to flatten a mountain. But Leonidas didn't give the beast a second to react before launching down another, this time _much more powerful_ , laser of energy down upon the dragon as he let loose an animalistic bellow.

" _ **BrrroooAAAWWWRRR!**_ "

As the dust was settling, Percy caught his breath before going to go look for Leonidas, but before he could move a giant serpentine dragon head burst from the dust and debris and injected it's venomous fangs into the Golden Fleece that was wrapped around Leonidas' chest.

The dragon shook Leonidas around like a chew toy before throwing him a good hundred yards further away from Percy, with Leonidas landing line a meteor on the war-torn ground.

"Leonidas!" Percy yelled as the dragon struck Leonidas again, this time trying to swallow him whole. But the Mortal of Might managed to catch the dragon's massive jaws and keep them open with nothing more than his pure, unchained strength.

"You shall not kill me, beast!" Leonidas yelled at the legendary dragon. "For I am destined to achieve my Fate by the Fates themselves!" With one last display of power, Leonidas snapped the jaw of the dragon before aiming his coiled-rebar arm down its massive throat and firing one last blast of energy inside of it.

The dragon of legend screamed as it burned from the inside out, it tried to break free of Leonidas' grip but it was finally silenced when the Son of Strength drove his enchanted sword in between its massive eyes and cleaved a hole large enough for a horse to fit through in its head.

The legendary dragon fell to the ground a second later, dead.

Coughing and in pain, Leonidas rose from his knees and quickly threw off the Golden Fleece like it had burned him. He looked down to his broad chest to find that the venom that had injected into the Fleece had soaked into his skin as well. And as if to demonstrate the power of the venom, he dropped to a knee, clutching his chest in pain.

"Leonidas!" Percy yelled as he ran as fast as his legs could take him. "Leonidas! Are you okay?" He asked as he got with earshot.

"Do not worry, brother…" His speech was slow and pained as if every word sapped his fleeting power. "After tonight… I… will not _need_ the Golden Fleece…" He dropped to both knees as he caught his breath, trying to open a bottle of Nectar but found his fingers refusing to respond as he wished. "For I shall be… Immortal."

He gave up trying to open the vial and tossed it to the side. He held up a hand asking for help up as Percy got to him. "Come, the final battle is _over_ , brother. Let us sneak into Hera's secret garden and steal the Golden Apples." With a little difficulty due to his extremely worn out state, Percy managed to bring Leonidas to one knee. He couldn't help but share the elated look and smile on his brother's face. "With them I can _finally_ achieve my Fate and rise into the sky among the stars forever with Eos and Astraea-"

'CrrraaaBBBOOOMMM!'

But Leonidas was cut off when an explosion of electric-blue lightning burst through the center of his chest from behind. Percy watched in horror as blood and innards shot from the fist-sized hole in Leonidas chest a second before Leonidas fell face first into the dirt.

"I _told_ you… I'd… kill you, you Titan-loving… bastard!" A voice sounded from behind them and Percy turned, Riptide in hand, to come face to face with the King of the Gods, Zeus.

"Hahaha!" The god let out a pained, dark laugh as he tried to summon another bolt of lightning in his only present hand. But at the last second a shimmering wave of multi-colored light appeared out of the darkness and hit Zeus, sending his lightning bolt safely flying in another direction.

But Zeus was undeterred, he tried to summon another bolt as he taunted Leonidas. "I _told_ you I'd… kill you! By betraying _me_ , you betray _Olympus!_ "

As his dulled green eyes looked over the dripping, gaping hole in Leonidas' chest, Percy lost it.

He charged the King of the Gods with a savage brutality as he shrugged off the weak lightning bolts the god sent his way to stop him from getting any closer. Before he knew how he got there, Percy found himself beating the god into the ground with his fists, mindlessly swinging his unbreakable fists at the god with enough power to shatter boulders.

Zeus tried to beg for Percy to stop, offering him whatever he wished for, but it was no use. He then tried to force Percy away from him, but with only one hand and considering how weak he was due to the Promised Day and the beating he previously had thanks to Leonidas, he didn't have the strength to stop Percy as he began to cave his face in with his bare fists.

Suddenly a hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him from punching the motionless god. "Stop it, Perseus! Do not give in to your rage!" Percy turned to find the Titaness Eos as his mind cleared. His chest pounded so hard and his hands hurt so much from punching Zeus. The Titaness gave him the briefest look before looking over to Leonidas who was still unmoving. "Do not become a slave to it like Leonidas. You can kill Zeus, but give him a quick death, do not drag it out longer than it needs to be."

"...Okay…" Percy nodded before pulling Riptide from his pocket and uncapping the pen. He held the leafed blade over the ing of the Gods as he begged for his life.

"S-stop… I-I'll give you _anything_ you want, fame, money, power, women-" But before he could finish Percy drove the blade into his heart until he hit the stone underneath. Then for good measure he twisted the blade as much as he could before snapping it inside of the god in one quick move.

Percy looked down to the broken blade in his hand for a second before throwing it to the side. This was his last fight, after this he was done, so he didn't need it anymore. And best not let it fall in the wrong hands.

Percy then limped over to Leonidas where Eos was holding his head in her hands, whispering to him, and with his enhanced hearing he could hear the slightest breath coming from the large man, letting him know that he was still alive. Percy burst into a run and reached the giant man as fast as he could, sitting on the opposite side of Eos. He was about to ask her how he was when she suddenly looked up to the heavens above them with a worried look, stated that, " _He_ is coming, I'll hold him off for as long as I can, you get Leonidas out of here!" before jumping into the sky and out of sight.

"Leonidas! Leonidas are you okay? How are you still alive?"

The giant man let out a hollow groan, the sound mostly coming from the hole in the center of his chest. "...I-I thought the Fates *cough* wished… for me *wheeze* to achieve my… Fate." His voice was broken, and not just from physical pain, but from the realization hitting him that he was going to die for real this time. In other words, without achieving what he thought the Fates had wanted him to do. "I… I must… *cough* not have… been my destiny… *wheeze* to achieve my Fate." A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he let out a breathy chuckle that sounded like it really hurt.

"Hehehe… My… my _entire_ life was for naught… I cannot live with Eos and Astraea in the stars… *cough* forever…" He closed his eyes for a second to smile fully. "But at least I was able to find a little light among the darkness." He slowly opened his eyes and trained their blurry vision on Percy before moving them to the endless horizon that was slowly breaking into dawn.

"I have always wished to see the sunrise from Olympus…" He mused, a soft smile on his face. "Eos always told me they were beautiful…"

Percy tried to use the one-time ability to avoid death on Leonidas that Hades gave him, but found that it did not work on another person. Or perhaps Leonidas _was right_ , that the Fate Sisters didn't wish for him to achieve his Fate and rise in the stars with Eos forever. Perhaps they had deceived him to make him more willing to serve them, it didn't really make sense with what Percy knew about them, but his mind was unable to think at the moment. Leonidas got his attention and broke him out of his thoughts.

"Brother, I… I have something I must ask you to do…" His voice was fading, even more than it already was. Percy could even sense it, he was dying.

"Anything,"Percy quickly replied. "What do you need?"

"Back where *cough* you, the Hunters and I met *wheeze* in Maine," he started, his words slowing and starting to slur. "Go there." He ordered. "Go there, fund my and Eos' cabin. Know *cough* in your heart what you *seek* and… you will obtain it." Suddenly Leonidas gripped Percy's wrist and squeezed with all his might, an alarmingly low amount of strength. "My daughter, Astraea, is there, she is young and… was born weak, but the Golden Fleece has brought her back… *cough* from the brink of death. G-go to her, you and Annabeth… and take her in as your own."

His head started to tilt as he was losing consciousness, but he kept his stare into Percy's eyes. "Raise her alongside your child as your *cough* own. Astraea _doesn't_ deserve to be… punished for _my_ sins, so promise me… you'll protect her. _Promise me._ "

Percy had to bite his lip to hold back his emotions. Finally he was able to force out a, "I'll protect her like I would Annabeth or our child, I _swear it on the Styx_."

Leonidas' pained, focussed looked fled his face, replaced by one of calmness and peace as he watched the sky above them. "Thank you, brother." He gave a smile as he watched golden-red flashes of light energy blasts in the sky. The colors seemed to be chasing one made out of pure darkness, a black of dark it could only be seen by blocking the stars behind it. Leonidas let out a breath. "It's Eos...:" He mumbled as he felt himself fade. "She's fighting off Thanatos…"

With widened eyes, Percy looked into the heavens to find he was right. He could see Eos using the very last of her power to keep Thanatos,the God of Death, from getting to Leonidas. Despite knowing that stopping Thanatos would solve nothing, as well as the fact that she would soon die after Leonidas.

Leonidas spoke, his broken, hollow voice just above a whisper as his untrasking eyes stared into the starry heavens above him. "Tell her…" He mumbled, his eyes stopping. "Tell her you will… protect… Astraea…"

After that final word Leonidas stopped moving and Percy could no longer hear his struggled breaths or sense the power that once filled his body. "...I will." Percy mumbled before slowly and as gently as he could, close Leonidas' eyes.

Eos appeared next to them a few seconds later, looking to Leonidas with a relieved look after chasing off Thanatos before realizing she had arrived too late. "No no no! Leonidas! My Leonidas!" The Titaness let out a cry as she tried to stir him awake, but found it was no use. She held back a sob as she cupped his face before placing a light kiss on his lips. "You can rest now, my love… you can rest now. You deserve your rest…"

With a flutter of massive wings as dark as night, Thanatos, the reaper of souls, landed next to Percy and Eos, but didn't say anything, letting Eos have her moment. Percy looked to the God of Death with tears in his eyes. "Thanatos, please! Grant Leonidas Elysium!" He was worried that Leonidas would be sent to the Fields of Punishment for his actions despite his honorable intentions. Percy rose to his feet and stepped right up to Thanatos. "Come on! You _owe me_ for saving you in Alaska! Grant him Elysium! _Hades_ , give him _my_ spot! I don't care what happened to me, just grant him Elysium!"

The God of Death, who had remained unmoving the whole time, suddenly looked up to the heavens above them before nodding and looking back to Percy. "My Sisters have spoken…" He finally spoke as he waved his hand over Leonidas' body. "Because of his love for humanity and because of his selfless acts, he shall be granted Elysium." He then looked to Eos who was crying uncontrollably.

"I am truly sorry, Eos, I apologize on my Sister's behalf, they did not wish for the Tapestry of Fate to be weaved in such a way, but not even they, the Fates, can change what is meant to be." He let out a breath as he looked over Leonidas' body. "I am sorry, Eos, but you should say farewell, as you will not be able to be with him as you _Fade_ into the _Void_. This will be your last day on earth." He then flew off into the dawn, leaving Percy and Eos alone at the edge of Olympus.

The Titaness bit her lip and fought back her tears, drying her face with her hands. As she did so, Percy told her what he promised Leonidas. "Leonidas asked me to find your cabin in Maine… I'll find her, I promise." The Titaness instantly realized what he was saying and broke down into more tears as she hugged him in thanks.

"You are _truly_ an honorable man, Perseus Jackson." She pulled away and looked back to Leonidas. After another minute she looked to the brightening heavens in front of them as the dawn broke over the horizon. "It must be my time, the sun has never rose without me or Leonidas opening the Gates of Heaven…" She looked into the sky again, this time at the night sky that was still visible.

"Let us see if there is enough darkness…" Without another word she slowly rose to her shaky feet and began to swirl her hands in front of her, a mass of shining light appearing in her hands. Wordlessly she threw the lights into the remains for the night sky and the lights formed into new stars above them. Percy felt his breath escape his lips as he made out the outline of the new constellation. "Even if we cannot see one another again, we shall forever be together, my love. I give the heavens the constellation of The Lovers."

The constellation showed two figures, one large and the other small, embracing the over as the larger figures' arm draped over the smaller one. Percy could see the image clear in his mind. It was Leonidas and Eos in a loving embrace. Leonidas _was_ right after all, though not in the way he thought. In the end he and Eos would live in the sky among the stars forever… but they would never be able to see one another in death.

The Titaness began to glow an ethereal golden-red color, she would have been beautiful if Percy didn't know what it meant. "Thank you, Perseus Jackson, for giving my husband's life so much joy these past few months…" A wave of serenity washed over her face as she began to ascend into the sky, the light around her growing brighter and brighter. "And thank you for promising to protect Astraea… tell her how good of a man her father was. Don't let the gods lie about him."

Percy nodded, unable to utter a single word. She smiled as she rose high into the sky before bursting into a shimmering red and gold flash of light.

She had _Faded_ into the _Void_ , returning to _Chaos_ , forgotten by the world.

 **~If you submitted an OC for THBW you'll get a copy of their artwork if you support me on Pat-reon!~**

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(Author's Note)

Well shit, now you guys see why this chapter was so hard to write. I've been sat here for around about 12 hours in a single writing session, making sure I get this done for you guys. Hopefully it was well worth the wait and a fitting send off for Leonidas.

I honestly feel… empty right now, with Leonidas gone. I was fine up to the death scene, as I was having a lot of fun writing, but once I got to it I just feel… empty. I've been crafting Leonidas' story and tale of misery for well over a year and now with him gone, and this story almost over, it feels so weird, honestly. I know some people didn't like when I stated this in the beginning in some replies to reviews, but _Leonidas_ was _always_ the main character, _not Percy_. We may see a good portion of the story from Percy's perspective and even root for him, but this was Leonidas' story since the very beginning.

Well, it's 4:32am right now and I'm too emotionally stunted to sleep, so I think I'll get some unhealthy amounts of caffeine and stay up so I can go to Barnes and Noble in the morning and get started on ch20. I'll try to get that out with a week or two. We have two chapters left, not including an epilogue. I WANT this story to be over by Christmas, let's see if I can or not. Your support with reviews and on Twitter are a HUGE motivation for me, more than you know, so if you want the next chapter sooner then leave a Review and Follow me on Twitter. Also consider supporting me on Pat-reon, I want to get more artwork for characters done, as well as Cover Art done, but I need support to do that, art commissions can get expensive.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll post updates on Pat-reon and Twitter, follow me on there. Also let me know if I should get an Instagram account for my writing.

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 **Thank you to my wonderful supporter on Pat-reon!**

 **W.R. Winters**

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 **Fun Fact:** 'Don't know if this qualifies as a fun fact, but I just announced the title, MC and short synopsis of my next SERIES(yes, series) on Pat-reon and it's available to see on _any_ tier! Hint hint, wink wink.' And if you wanna check out the artwork for her, I put both up on Twitter for you guys to vote on your favorite. The winner will be used as the Cover Art for Daughters of Olympus, the series that will be coming out after COO sometime in January. And give me a follow while you're over there! It helps build up my audience and gives me more opportunities to talk to you guys.

 **Question of the day:** Just give me all of your thoughts, feelings and emotions right now and about this story as a whole, I don't care if it's a novels worth or a haikus worth, I'd LOVE to read it. I'll read through and respond to every review or PM I get, so don't worry about it just being lost to the void. I know some authors don't read their reviews(which surprises me, honestly), but I decided years ago to respond to every PM, tweet and review I get.

 **Next Time:** Ch20: Apotheosis


	30. Ch 20 Part 1: The Savior of Olympus

(Uploaded: January 19, 2020)

Chapter 20 Part 1: The Savior of Olympus

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! Welcome to the second to last regular chapter of Champion of Olympus! Omg I'm _not_ ready! There will be an epilogue that will be used to wrap some things and typical epilogue stuff after chapter 21. Don't know when it'll be out but I'll try to wrap COO up within another week or two. FYI the Epilogue may come out as much as a few weeks after chapter 21, so don't freak when you don't see it immediately. I gotta start getting ready for my next story to come out.

Thanks again for all the new followers on Twitter!(You guys have been KILLING it lately!) I'm slowly revealing characters for both my upcoming SERIES **(The Half-Blood Wars & one that'll be announced SOON)** on Twitter, along with some artwork I did myself, some I got commissioned thanks to Pat-reon or artwork I found online. You can find short bios for each of them on Pat-reon for any tier. So why not consider becoming a $5 Patron to see sneak peeks of characters before anyone else AND get your name credited in every upload of the month? But seriously, any and all support you guys can give means the world to me, money or not. Can we hit 45 Twitter followers after this chapter? I believe in you guys!

A TON of stuff happened last chapter, so if you somehow didn't read it, or if you just want a refill of the sheer amount of total awesomeness and sadness that I gave you all last time, then go back and read ch19. It also really helps with views and helps you guys remember everything that happened without me devoting several paragraphs to the recap.

Lastly, I have roughly 700-750 people check out my stories whenever I post a new chapter of this story that day, so even if a _fraction_ of you follow me on Twitter, retweet my posts and chapter links, follow me on Wattpad or even support me, then my number of new readers would blow up and expand several times over. So, _all I ask_ is that all few hundred of you reading this(a _nd that is SO HARD to fathom for me, like I can't fully grasp my mind around it!_ ) retweet my chapter links, follow, favorite and share my work with PJO and FanFic fans you know, I'm not asking you all support me on Pat-reon, just asking that you help my readership and following grow, it'll _honestly_ help more in the long run than you know. _Plus_ _it's free!_

 _Everything_ you guys do, helps in more ways than you know! I have been s _o blessed_ this last year, you guys are better than I could have ever hoped for! Thank you all and a VERY late happy holidays! Here's to another strong year on FanFiction!

Hephaestus

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 **Thank you to my wonderful supporter on Patr-eon!**

 **W.R Winters**

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Chapter 20 Part 1: The Savior of Olympus

"Some men do not want to be remembered,

They only want the things they fight for to live longer than they themselves did.

True legends are born from selfless actions,

To fight against any and all odds,

Even if they know they will not succeed..."

Rex Cristallo

 _[Recap: Shit happened, a LOT of it. So just go back and reread chapter 19, ok? Thanks :) ]_

 **(June 22, 2011 - On a crumbling Mount Olympus)**

 **~A few minutes later~**

Percy was still gazing into the awakening heavens above him, the images of Leonidas lying dead in his arms and Eos bursting into flashes of light as she _Faded_ into _Chaos_ , destined to be forgotten by the world, burned into his mind like a white-hot wire when the gods regained their power and hurried over to him.

The Goddess Artemis hesitated when she found him sat quietly at the edge of Olympus, his feet hanging over the endless nothingness of the _Void_ below him. After a head nod from her brother, Apollo, Artemis softly placed a comforting hand on the demigod's shoulder, with the intention to stir him from his thoughts.

He seemed… _broken_ , to Artemis as she asked him if he was alright as Apollo healed his injuries. She did not miss the worried look her brother sent her way as Percy remained silently looking over the _Void_ , his eyes transfixed on it, his mind vacant.

She and Apollo carefully lifted him to his feet as the rest of the gods approached, even if he were in immense pain, his duty was to protect Olympus from _anything_ , to be their last hope and line of defense, and putting on a brave face and hiding his pain was a part of the job as much as Artemis wanted him to rest. _Percy would understand_ , she told herself. _He would insist on it if he could._

Poseidon rushed to his son, engulfing his boy in his arms, holding him close. He kept saying he was proud of him over and over as he wept over the thought of losing another son today, as he had lost Triton, his eldest son and heir, before the Titans attacked. But Artemis knew in her heart that Percy's mind was somewhere else as he kept his eyes trained on the unmoving, broken form of Leonidas who lay dead on the ground, a massive bloody hole in his chest. He looked almost peaceful with the two Golden Drachma over his eyes, despite the terrible state he was in, his blackened, thinning skin was graffitied with bloody scars and his armor, which was always kept in perfect condition, was in shambles as it hung off of his lifeless body where Artemis could tell that Percy tried in vain to his injuries despite it being far too little too late.

It didn't take the rest of the gods long to reach them, each one of them avoiding Leonidas' dead body like the plague and instead rushing over to Percy, offering him gratitude for saving them and killing Leonidas. Artemis and Apollo noticed that Percy's eyes, who still watched Leonidas, widened slightly at hearing his name but returned to their normal, hazed state a second later. He still didn't say anything, and that worried the godly twins.

"Come, we must not overwhelm the young man," Queen Hera said as she approached, her eyes scanning the scene before falling upon the lifeless form of her husband, Lord Zeus. "...What happened?" Her voice was soft, just above a whisper as she took small steps to Zeus. "...Husband… Perseus, what has happened?"

"...They're all dead." Percy sudden, soft, almost broken voice caught the attention of the entire group. All of the gods moved closer to him as Apollo healed the Son of the Seas. "Ares, Zeus, Eos and… _Leonidas_ are dead." His eyes remain unmoving as he looked upon the dead form of his brother.

Lady Hebe broke into tears as she looked over her fallen father. Her husband, the recently reformed Heracles, gripped her delicate shoulder in a comforting manner, bringing her into his side as she wailed. He too couldn't keep his eyes from the lifeless body of his son, the only one besides Percy, Athena or Hera that seemed bothered he was dead, to Artemis at least.

She could hear him muttering under his breath, "I failed you, Sarah… I could not protect him…"

All of the countless gods, major and minor, of Olympus gathered in a circle around the fallen King of the Gods, bowing their heads slowly as they sent flashes of light into the sky in remembrance for their lost King. The wakening sky shone with the shining holographic symbols of _hundreds_ of gods and goddesses. All of the gods, bar Artemis and Apollo, who watched the minor gods, or his father Heracles, avoided and ignored Leonidas' discarded body like it was ruble, showing him no attention or mind as they didn't even know that Leonidas _fought for them_ this day, _not against them_ as Zeus had told them.

Lady Hera stepped up to Percy, lowering herself to meet his eye. Her intelligent, multi-colored gaze like shimmering peacock feathers watching him as if she were testing him. "What happened to my husband? What happened to Zeus?" She asked in a whisper so low that only Apollo and Artemis heard because they were so close. "H-how did he die?"

Percy's mouth opened and a few seconds later came his mumbled, hollow reply. "It was his Fate… _nothing_ could have been done…"

"...Are you _sure_?" Hera asked in a whisper, her eyes focusing on him more, as if she were avoiding talking about something _only they_ knew in front of Artemis and Apollo. She moved forward a fraction of an inch as she inspected him, her eyes studying Percy for a few seconds before noticing Artemis' confused questioning look and moved back promptly, offering Artemis a noticeably fake comforting smile. She still spoke in a barely audible whisper. "...If that is _what you say_ , Perseus… _then that is what happened._ "

Without preamble she rose to her feet and turned on the spot, addressing the countless gathering of gods like the Queen she was. "Hear me! Gods and Goddesses of Olympus!" She moved forwards as she addressed the crowd, her voice strong and firm, unlike Artemis expected right after she learned that her husband had been murdered in cold blood by her own grandson.

"I bring to you all unbearable news… Lord Zeus, King of the Gods, _my husband_ , has fallen in defense of Olympus during the Titan's attack. His _murderer…_ was the vile mortal son of Heracles that allied with the Titans to destroy us. _Leonidas_ _killed Zeus_ , but was killed by Perseus who was unfortunately unable to stop Leonidas in time."

Artemis stiffened as she held Percy while Apollo healed him. _THAT WASN'T WHAT HAPPENED!_ She screamed to herself, her fury so clear on her face that Apollo halted his healing for a second to look at her, his own fist clenched tightly in rage. Hera _knew_ that Leonidas had _allied with_ the gods and _hadn't_ allied with the Titans! It was _her_ idea to grant him power to aid him in the fight! So _why_ was she lying?!

Artemis almost rose to her feet in her rage but stopped short when Apollo tightly gripped her wrist, his usually care-free eyes hard and boring right into her. He spoke in a whisper, his voice so low that she could barely even hear it. " _Only Hera, Hebe, Heracles, Athena, you and I know of Leonidas' true honor, Artemis._ " He forced out quickly, his eyes scanning the crowd that listened to Lady Hera to make sure they didn't overhear him. "Only we _know that he allied with us, father_ lied _to Olympus that Leonidas was fighting with the Titans. The other gods CAN'T know that father was willing to sacrifice ALL of Olympus to kill him._ " He shook his head slightly, his comforting eyes settling on his sister. " _We do not know what happened to father, Artemis, we don't know if Leonidas killed him or not. But it's most likely that he did._ "

" _Olympus will fall into chaos if they learn the truth… so even if it tarnishes his name…_ " He let out a held breath as his eyes moved to Percy who was silently watching Hera speak lies to the gods and goddesses about Leonidas. " _The world CANNOT learn the truth. Leonidas MUST bear the blame for destroying Olympus. He KILLED father, Artemis, that is what everyone must think, even if it isn't true. No one but Percy was there, Artemis, so ONLY HE knows the truth. It could have been a Titan, or it could have been Leonidas… but either way, he MUST be blamed."_

Lady Hera continued speaking to the crowd, her voice hard and emotionless. "It is only because of the brave actions of this honorable demigod that we are all here this morning. If it were not for Perseus, then Olympus, _as well as the entire world_ , would have fallen to the Titans and Leonidas. So, _thank you_ , Perseus." Hera paused slightly to gesture her arm at Percy, giving him a discreet apologetic look. This was the _only_ way, the gods _couldn't_ know the truth as she did. _Only she_ saw the _true outcome_ of this day… and _only she_ could be blamed for the fate of her husband… but the gods and the world _couldn't_ know that. So _even if_ it pained her to do it, she lied through her teeth about how great her husband was and how he defended Olympus with his life despite her secret hatred for him and the fact that he had _only_ joined the battle to kill Leonidas and Percy, _NOT_ defend Olympus and the world.

If she were to reveal to the gods what _really_ happened… then they would _no doubt_ turn on her and Olympus would fall into ruin without anyone ruling it. So for the time being, until someone new sat on the throne and Olympus stabilized, she would pretend to be the ever-loyal, doting, heartbroken wife of the fallen King of the Gods to ensure that the foundations of change planted today by Leonidas would sprout and bear fruit of love and peace like he wanted.

She removed her eyes from Percy, who had been staring into hers, and continued to address the crowd. "My husband shall be forever remembered as the kind, caring, wondrous man he was for all of time." Hera felt sick saying those lies, her husband was _not_ a good man, husband or King, and she was _only_ loyal to him as his wife out of duty as the Goddess of Marriage. The man _forced_ _her_ to marry him after raping her all those millennia ago, but the gods and goddesses _couldn't_ know that, they _must_ remember him as the idealized man they thought him as, or else Olympus would crumble. "Come, let us tend to our wounded and begin rebuilding Olympus. Council members," she looked behind her to where the Olympian Council still stood around Percy. "Gather your most loyal children, _mortal and Immortal_ , and meet me in the Throne Room. There is _much_ we must discuss." Then without notice she _flashed_ away, leaving them behind.

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It would have been humorous seeing Poseidon carrying his powerful and almost mythical son to the Throne Room if it had not been for the circumstances.

It was a few minutes after the crowd of gods and goddesses left when the Olympian Council began heading to the Throne Room as they summoned their godly and demigod children to them. Artemis gave one last look to Leonidas' dead and broken body that had just been left and discarded on the war-torn ground as Zeus' had been delicately collected by his soldiers and taken for a proper burial.

Only Hades seemed to linger over his body for a minute, but Artemis assumed that was just because of his role as God of the Dead, as he did not know that Leonidas had been aligned with Olympus in the final battle like Artemis, Apollo, Hera, Athena, Hebe and Heracles did. He still believed what Zeus had told the rest of Olympus; that Leonidas had tricked Percy into befriending him, killed two campers, was blamed for killing several minor gods and goddesses that _happened_ to _Fade_ the last few weeks because of the Promised Day and attacked Olympus alongside the Titans and Monsters. Soon, even the Lord of Death left the lifeless body without so much as a nod of his head to respect the mortal that helped save Olympus and the world.

"We _can't_ just leave him, Apollo." Artemis spoke to her brother after Poseidon carefully took his son from their hands and began carrying him with the group as they left. "Leonidas _saved_ Olympus. He gave his life to defend us and the world from the Titans and Monsters… it would be the _highest disrespect_ to treat him like the enemy! Every demigod _deserves_ to be given a burial fit for a hero."

Apollo put a hand on her shoulder, looking to the fallen Savior of Olympus. "*sigh* I _know_ how you feel, sis, but _what_ would you have us do? Tell all of Olympus and the demigods that father was _lying_ about Leonidas? How he was _Hades-bent_ on _sacrificing_ and _destroying_ Olympus and the world _just_ to kill Leonidas and Percy? That for the last year and a half that he had been _lying_ to every god and demigod? Olympus would fall into a civil war if that were to happen. We would have to tell them the truth about _everything_ , and that would bring Olympus to its knees. Olympus had already been split down the middle, siding with either father or us about Percy. We were at risk of a civil war, and that was before uncle Poseidon even knew of father's plans. Imagine what would happen if he knew that father had tried several times to kill Percy. It would mean war." He shook his head as he gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry, but it's the only-"

"It doesn't _have_ to be the only way." She cut him off sharply, her gaze transfixed on Leonidas' fallen body. "You _saw_ as well as I that the Fate Sisters granted him Immortality, they _chose him_ to protect us! Now we're just supposed to _forget_ about his sacrifice and spit on his memory like Hera wants?"

"Hera _doesn't want that_ ," he corrected, his shoulders slumped. "And I could tell that Percy understands that too, but _in order_ to keep Olympus united without a King, we _need_ an enemy to blame… and with all the Titans dead and Monsters gone… Leonidas shall be that enemy. Even in the grave."

A low growl escaped her lips. "But he _saved_ us!" She protested. "He might not have always been loyal to us, but he was a great hero, a _great man_ , one I would _gladly_ put alongside Percy-"

"Then if he was such a great man and hero…" Apollo cut her off before pausing slightly. "Then Leonidas would be _willing_ to let his name be destroyed if it kept Olympus from falling into civil war. He, like Percy and _all_ the greatest heroes of the world, would have rather _never have been remembered_ for what they accomplished than let what they were fighting for _never be in the first place_."

Apollo was just a pissed as her, Artemis knew that, but it _didn't_ help the hole in her heart that grew in pain as she thought about the injustices they were giving him. Percy may have been their _Champion_ , but Leonidas was their _Savior_.

Letting out one last breath, Apollo began to lead Artemis away from the edge of Olympus, letting her stop to watch as a group of Zeus' warriors- who had been _noticeably absent_ in the attack on the city- push Leonidas' broken body over the edge of Olympus unceremoniously with their spears. Discarding him like a dead animal, a piece of trash… _a Monster_ , instead of the Savior of Olympus. As his broken, bloody and beaten, lifeless body fell into the _Void_ of nothingness from all which once came and all will one day go, Artemis feared that the world would soon forget _Leonidas the Man_ and instead remember him as _Leonidas the Monster_.

 **~Just a Page Break asking you to support me on Pat-reon if you can~**

Poseidon put his son down beside Annabeth's medical bed. With Asclepius and Apollo back to full health, the two medical gods would have no trouble fully healing the daughter of Athena and bringing her out of her healing coma.

"That's it, son, easy does it." Poseidon helped Percy find his shaky feet before leaving him alone with the girl who was quickly waking up once he knew his son was going to be fine on his own.

Percy's head was still spinning when he heard her voice, his heart, the sights and sounds around him, _the very earth_ stopped spinning. "...We're staying together…" Something took his hand and he felt the strength he had been missing since she was taken from him return all at once. "You're _not_ getting away from me… _Never again_ …"

Tears burst from his shaky eyes as he engulfed her body. "As long as we're together…" He buried his head in her hair, letting his emotions loose for the first time in weeks, maybe even months since Chiron left and everything was put on his shoulders. So he cried like a baby, and she held him, because she knew he'd be there when she woke up. Because they loved one another.

"Wisegirl…" He mumbled from her hair after a few minutes. " _Never_ do that to me again. I _can't_ lose you."

She smiled as she squeezed him tighter, not wanting to let him go. "I couldn't help it…" She mumbled in reply as a smile crept on her face. "It was instinct… I'm too used to saving your butt because you won't look behind you."

Percy let out a few soft chuckles, relishing in feeling the warmth of her skin again. The sensation he had missed the last few weeks as he lay in bed alone, unable to sleep because she wasn't next to him. Now he knew how she felt whenever he left on a Quest or mission from the gods without her, no wonder she got so emotional whenever he broke his promises to stop working for the gods.

"I know, _I'm so lucky_ to have you, Beth." He then slowly pulled back so that he could sit on the edge of the bed, looking into her eyes as he grabbed her hand.

"Annabeth… I'm finishing the promise I made to you." He mumbled softly, brushing the ruffled hair from her stormy grey eyes. "The one you wouldn't let me finish before I left with the Hunters…" He let out a calming breath, his shoulders relaxing from their tensed position for the first time in countless months. "That was my _last fight_ … _I'm done_." He stopped his movement and looked deep into her eyes, seeing the realization in them. He tore the necklace that held his Trident and Camp Half-Blood beads from his neck, tossing it on the bed next to him. "I'm ready… to move past _of all this_ … To _leave_ the Greek world, _forever…_ with _you_."

Her breath hitched, her brilliant mind stopping as she looked him over, not detecting any lies in his eyes. Tears formed in her eyes as she hugged him, mumbling in his ear. "You're willing to give it all up? Everything you've accomplished?"

" _Anything_ for you, Annabeth. The greatest thing I've ever accomplished was getting someone as beautiful and smart and perfect to love someone as messed up and stupid as me." He whispered back, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I've had the feeling that this was going to be my last fight for awhile… and now I'm ready for the fighting to be over… I can't see anything like this again, I can't take it."

Annabeth sensed the change of tone in his voice. She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. "...What happened?" She asked as she noticed that she was in the Olympian Throne Room. "Last thing I remember was Leonidas fighting us in the Big House… what happened after that?"

So Percy told her everything that happened, letting her know how Leonidas accidentally injured her, how he fled from camp and how Percy and the Hunters had tracked him to Maine to talk. How Leonidas was secretly the son of Heracles, along with with mother, Sarah, being a daughter of Athena and how she had attended Camp back in the day. Annabeth said it made sense, with Leonidas being so secretly clever and talented in battle, being a Legacy of Athena would do that.

He told her how he and Leonidas talked and how Leonidas believed that he was chosen by the Fates and Chaos herself to change the Fate of the world and kill Zeus and Ares. And how Percy honestly believed him, the world would be better off in his opinion.

How Leonidas had sworn off his revenge and mission to kill all of Olympus, instead choosing to protect it against the Titans and Monsters on the Promised Day. With his selfless sacrifice saving _not only_ Manhattan and the demigods and gods that defended it, but the very world as well. If it were not for Leonidas defending the walls of Olympus when Percy was in the Throne Room, he believed that all of Olympus would have fallen.

How Leonidas had been married to the Titaness Eos, sister of Helios, the Titan of the Sun and Selene, the Titaness of the Moon, daughter of Hyperion, the Titan of the East. Annabeth wondered if Eos had hated Percy for killing her father in the Battle of Manhattan, but Percy told her that Eos was instead aligned with the gods.

He also told her that Leonidas and Eos had a child of their own, Astraea, and how Leonidas asked him to take her in now that he and Eos were dead.

"Then, as he was dying…" Percy continued telling her the events of the last two weeks, ending on Leonidas' Fate. "He asked me to travel back to Maine to their cabin and find Astraea. He asked us to take her in as our own, alongside our child." He gently placed his hand on her stomach, giving it a loving tap.

Annabeth seemed shocked for a moment, mostly because she didn't know Percy knew she was pregnant, but also because of the idea of taking in a child. But after knowing what she knew now, as well as getting to know Leonidas at camp, she _couldn't_ turn his child away when she had no one else. "...You know I'm…"

"Pregnant?" He asked. She nodded, slightly worried that he would be upset. "Lady Hera and Lady Eileithyia told me… they assumed I knew."

She took his hand. " _I'm so sorry, Percy_." She apologized as she squeezed his hand. "I _swear_ that I was going to tell you, but the doctor told me that miscarriage risks would be high for another few weeks or so, and I didn't want to risk-"

"It's _okay_ , Beth." He cut her off softly. "I understand, I do. I _know_ you wouldn't keep it from me… Thalia told me you were going to tell me but Leonidas happened and well, you know."

She hesitated a second. "...So you're not mad?"

He scoffed, hugging her close. "Of course not. All I need to be happy is you, Beth."

She gave an involuntary giggle when he kissed her cheek in a goofy way. "Then I guess that means the two of us just became a family of four, huh?"

Percy's eyes widened, letting out a groan. "Ah man, I am _so_ not ready for that."

She smiled. "Don't worry, babe, you'll be the best dad in the world."

Percy opened his mouth to talk but stopped himself when Athena stepped forward silently, not wanting to interrupt the young couple but unable to stay away from her daughter any longer. Annabeth's eyes lit up when she saw her. "Mom!"

"Annabeth!" The Goddess of Wisdom ran over to her daughter, engulfing her in her arms. "It is _so good_ to see you! How are you? Apollo assured me that you were alright but I wanted to make certain that-"

"I'm fine, mom. Don't worry." She reassured her mother, letting go and pulling back to lay back down against the large number of pillows. "...So… do you know?" She tested the waters with her mom, not knowing if she knew the news yet. It was her _mother_ that she was the most worried about.

The goddess stiffened for a moment, looking to Percy and Annabeth instantly _knew she knew_. _Crap_. The goddess studied him for a second before looking back to her daughter. "You know that I do not condone children of mine having children of their own out of wedlock, Annabeth. It goes against the will of Hera as the Goddess of Marriage to do so… And I will not allow such an accomplished daughter of mine to birth a child outside of marriage, such a thing was a _disgraceful thing_ in Ancient Greece. So there's _only one thing to do…_ " She paused to look at Percy before a small smile crept on her once-stern face.

"...To _finally_ give Percy my blessing to have your hand in marriage." Her face broke out into a full smile as Annabeth cried out in happiness, pulling her mother in for a tight hug.

"Are you serious, mom?" Annabeth cried as she brought Percy into the hug as well. The son of Poseidon finding it weird to be in a group hug with _Athena_ of all people. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"I am sorry I took this long to give my blessing, both of you." She stood back up and looked to the pair of them. "But I was too blinded by my hatred for Poseidon to see the love you have for my daughter, Percy. As well as how good of a man you are and how good of a husband you will be for my daughter."

"Thank you, Athena." He offered her his hand after rising to his feet as well. "I promise that I'll take care of her."

"That is all I can ask." Athena returned the handshake before gesturing to the gods and recently _flashed_ in demigods gathered in the center of the Throne Room. "But we can discuss the logistics later, first Hera wishes to speak with us and she requests that both of you be in attendance."

 **[To be continued on Part 2]**

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 **Thank you to my wonderful supporter on Patr-eon!**

 **W.R Winters**

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(Author's Note)

Well, it was short and VERY late, but I hope you guys liked Part 1 of Ch20, I just wanted to get something out after not uploading anything for over a month. I'll continue working on Ch20 Part 2 right after I post this and as much as I can tomorrow. It's LONG overdue.

Show your support by leaving Reviews, Following/Favorting on FF and Following me on Twitter to make me more motivated to work faster! Can we hit 45 Followers on Twitter after this gets posted? I believe in you guys!

 **Fun Fact:** Leonidas has never used a computer or phone. Or the internet! He doesn't like modern technology all that much, with the most recent piece of it he has is an old record player Eos owns. As you guys will see soon… hint hint, wink wink…

 **Question of the day:** 'What's your favorite Monster or Creature in the Percy Jackson universe?'

 **Next Time:** Ch 20 Part 2: Apotheosis


	31. AN Update & Poll PLEASE READ

Hey everyone, Hephaestus here! I'm not dead, woo!

Just so you all know, this update is being put in Champion of Olympus, The Half-Blood Wars and PJ Characters in 99 Words.

I just wanted to put out this AN letting you all know that I'm sorry for updates being slow, but I'm working on getting some stuff out. I've also been working on commissioning character artworks on Fiverr the last few weeks. I intend to get at least a sketch done of every major character in Champion of Olympus, Daughters of Olympus and The Half-Blood Wars. So far I have artwork of Astraea, the MC of DOO, Freyja from THBW and two concept arts of characters from DOO, Kala Fredrick and Rana Muhammad, both girls being half-bloods with inhuman features.

And it's because of these character artworks why I'm making this announcement, I've put up three Polls on my Twitter to decide which artworks I'll get done first, I'll get them all done, I'll just get them in the order of votes. I have a Poll for COO, DOO and THBW, so you have three options to vote for. If you only read one story, then you can still vote for a character from that story!

I know not everyone has a Twitter, but if you do, then please head over there and vote for your favorite characters or which one you want done first. Wanna see Percy, Jason, Nico and Leonidas in their full armor in a battle scene from COO ch.19 'Three Wolves And One Lion'? Or a cute artwork of Leonidas, Eos and baby Astraea? Or perhaps one of a family portrait of Percy, Annabeth, Astraea and their 'to be revealed' child? Then head over there right away and vote! The Polls will be up for 7 days starting today, so do it now before they close.

I'd also REALLY appreciate it if you guys followed me while you were over there, I'm trying to build myself a writing platform and every follower or fan helps more than you know. I'm going to be starting my first, original novel "The Northern Rings" later this year. I plan on uploading a few chapters on Wattpad to build an audience, then, hopefully, I want to actually publish the book. But that won't be for years to come, sorry. I wanna take my time with it and not rush it. Once I edit and beta them, I plan on putting the chapters on my Pat-reon so my Patrons can read the chapters before it gets published. This way I can get some more income to at for publishing AND I get reader feedback. A win-win if you ask me. Synopsis for The Northern Rings to come out at some point, no idea as of yet.

Plus, I have two series to work on here on Fanfiction. Oh yeah, did I mention that Daughters Of Olympus and The half-Blood Wars are going to be series? Guess I just did, lol.

Feel free to ask questions in Reviews or PM's, but remember that FF still hasn't fixed notifications for PM's, so I might be slow to reply.

I hope to finish COO Ch20 Part 2 this weekend. And once COO is finally over I'll be starting THBW, it is LOOOOONG overdue, I apologize for that, guys. I didn't mean for it to be this long. But I've been working on the story outline and plot and I gotta say, I think you guys will really like it! I hope, lol.

And while you're over on Twitter, I created an Account for Astraea, the MC from Daughters of Olympus. It's part roleplay, part additional info on her character and the world she lives in. I've been posting on it daily and will for the next few months. I'll be using the account to give you guys hints to the series and additional info on her as the main character. If you wanna get to know her before DOO starts, then give her account a follow. It's Stronger_ThanU and mine is the same name as on here!

Anyway, this has gone on long enough, so I'll end it here. I hope you guys have a good one,

Hephaestus


	32. Ch 20 Part 2: Apotheosis

(Uploaded: February 12, 2020)

Chapter 20 Part 2: Apotheosis

(Author's Note)

Hey everyone! Here's Part 2 of Chapter 20! Yay! (Throws confetti, but it's also, y'know, _sad confetti… boo_ )

I didn't do the best job of explaining last time that this chapter, ch20, was split in two because I felt terribly sorry for taking so long with the upload, and since I had the first part already done I decided to just release part 1. So when I said that last time was the second to last regular chapter, I meant chapter 20 as a whole, parts 1 and 2. So, that of course means that next chapter, ch21, will BE THE LAST REGULAR CHAPTER! OMG! The after ch21 will be the Epilogue, which may come out a little later, so don't freak if you don't see it within a week or two, or three. I want to take my time with it, y'know? Make it as good as I can. Plus, I gotta start _ACTUALLY_ writing my next series.

Speaking of my next series, it'll be 'The Half-Blood Wars'. Formally known as Greece vs Rome SYOC. I don't have a date scheduled for chapter 1 or an upload schedule in place and I won't make any promises I can't keep. But I'll try to not have any month long gaps anymore.

Can I ask for some more Reviews, guys? I can see people are still reading this story, but I only get a few each chapter and I can't know how everyone is liking it without feedback. So, even if you've never left one(especially if you haven't), please leave me one this chapter! It can be as long or as short as possible, I also don't care if you are bad at English or it's hard to read. Just the action of leaving one makes my day! You guys are awesome, thanks again!

Have a good one, guys. I'll see you at the bottom!

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 **Thank you to my wonderful supporters on Patr-eon!**

' **W.R Winters'**

' **A TerrificAcorn'**

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Chapter 20 Part 2: Apotheosis

 _[Recap: After a well-fought battle, Leonidas, the destined Savior of Olympus, died at the hands of Lord Zeus. In retaliation, Percy slew the King of the Gods, ushering in a new era for the world without the tempermental god ruling it. But who will rule it now…?_

 _Now, reunited with his pregnant girlfriend Annabeth Chase, Percy has sworn off serving the gods and fighting, instead choosing to be with his love and move into the mortal world to start their own life as an expecting family. Now with their selfless decision to take in the newly orphaned Astraea, the demititan daughter of Leonidas and Eos, the two demigods have suddenly become a family of four._

 _Percy and Annabeth wished to leave Olympus right away to check up on the hundreds of demigods and Legacies they left at the foot of the Empire State Building to defend it, but Lady Hera, the recently widowed Queen of Olympus, ordered that the remaining major Olympian gods assemble in the Throne Room and gather their most loyal, hard-working and just children, both mortal and Immortal._

 _So with a heavy weight of dread deep in his chest, Percy, with Annabeth supported by his arm, joined his fellow demigods Jason, Thalia, Nico, Clarisse, Sherman Yang, Piper, Leo, Katie, Miranda, Will Solace, Travis Stoll and Pollux in the center of the Throne Room. Looking to the Queen of the Gods expectantly, wordlessly wondering what was going on.]_

"How are you feeling, Annabeth? Are you _sure_ you are up to standing?" Hera looked to the daughter of Athena before she started her speech, making sure the young woman was alright. Annabeth looked to the group around her, every major Olympian god, bar Zeus and Ares of course, was in attendance. Not only that, but at least one demigod of each of Major god that had them was there as well.

"I'm shaky, but doing better every minute, Lady Hera. Thank you for asking." Came Annabeth's reply as she leaned against Percy's shoulder.

Hera smiled before nodding as she made her way to her Throne. "Then it is time." Then with a louder, more authoritative voice, she called the meeting into order. "Fellow gods and goddesses of Olympus, I apologize for summoning you so soon after the events of yesterday, but there is _much_ we have to discuss."

After letting her eyes sweep the crowd of assembled demigods stood or sat by their parent's Thrones, finally settling her eyes on the empty Thrones of Ares and Zeus, whom had Clarisse and Jason sat before them, respectively. "For countless eons, the twelve gods of the Olympian Council have sat above the world of man, set with the duty to protect it from harm and guide it into the future." Her tone dropped slightly, showing her disappointment with their own effort. "But, as I know you are all aware, we have not fulfilled those duties for the past few hundred years. Monsters have been more rampant and bolder than ever before, the various nations of the world are ceaselessly at war with one another over childish squabbles and the very earth is dying under their fee and they are doing nothing to mend it."

"As the gods chosen by Chaos and the Fates to lead and protect this world, we have _failed in our duty._ " She stood up straighter as she focused her eyes on the empty Thrones. "So, I believe that it is time for _new gods_ to take the empty Thrones. Ones with pure hearts and unquestionable honor."

Annabeth heard several of her fellow demigods, and gods, gasp from Hera's words. It made sense that the Thrones needed to be filled, but to actually hear it and be in the room when Hera said it, was almost unbelievable.

"Since the creation of this Council, there have been twelve pernament Thrones, with Hades and Hestia recently gaining their own. But the Thrones of my late husband, Zeus, and my son, Ares, are empty. And because it would throw the very balance of the world into chaos if we left them unattended, we _must_ fill the Thrones." She tilted her gaze up to look a specific god in the eye.

"Your father's Throne _must_ be filled, and as his eldest male heir you have full rights to the Throne if you wish it." She outstretched her hand, offering it to the god. "So, what say you, Heracles?"

The newly reformed Lord of Strength gave his wife Hebe a loving pat before stepping forward and addressing the Queen of the Gods. Annabeth had to marvel at the similarities between him and his late son, though Leonidas always honestly looked more like a god than even some gods she knew. It was almost like looking at a memory. A memory that made her heart ache for Leonidas and his fallen wife, as well as his recently orphaned daughter that she and Percy secretly agreed to adopt after this meeting.

"This is most unexpected, Hera." The recently reformed god spoke, before looking back to his wife briefly. "And most generous, but I cannot accept."

The Queen of the Gods looked mildly surprised, but easily kept her cool composure. Heracles continued. "My place is guarding the Gates of Olympus, protecting it from those that would wish it harm, _not sitting on a Throne_. And I speak for both Hebe and I when I say that we do not wish for father's Throne." He looked from where Jason sat at the foot of Zeus' empty Throne to where Thalia kneeled at Artemis' side. "Why not ask these two young heroes? They are his children as well. And they have both demonstrated the qualities and achievements required to be the new Ruler of Olympus."

Thalia stiffened at the suggestion while Jason's eyes widened. Hera seemed to debate with herself for the briefest of seconds before nodding to Heracles and looking to the two demigods. "If it is your wish to revoke your birthright, Heracles, then I will instead relieve you of your duty as the Pillars of Heracles are destroyed, and instead offer you the honor of _personally_ guarding the Olympian Throne Room, if you so wish it, of course."

Heracles hesitated for a second as he looked to Hebe, the younger goddess nodding to him. Heracles nodded in return before looking back to the Queen of the Gods. "I accept the duty, it would be an honor, _Lady Hera_."

"I have a feeling that in the wake of the changes today, that Olympus will soon need you once again, my son, so stand strong." Hera offered him a genuine smile before looking to Thalia, all focus on her. "Young lady, would you please step forward?"

Thalia gave Artemis a questioning glance before being nudged to go forward. Once she was before the Queen of the Gods, Thalia went to drop down on one knee in respect but was stopped by the goddess. "Stay on your feet, my child. You have no need to bow to me, you have not needed to for a long time." Hera offered her a kind smile before continuing. "I know that my late husband revoked your birthright last year after you refused to kill Perseus, but _I_ will still honor your divine blood."

"As the eldest mortal child of Zeus, now with Heracles declining the Throne, you are the next in line, my child. If you so wish it, then you shall be the first ruling Lady of Olympus. You shall have your late father's Throne."

Thalia's heart stopped in her chest. She couldn't _fathom_ what was going on. It was like she was dreaming. For as long as she could remember, she had fought for power or rank, to be the _best_ _she could be_ , so as a teenager she would have done _anything_ to take her father's Throne… _but not anymore_. "I'm sorry, Lady Hera…" Thalia spoke in a whisper, her voice tight and timid, so unlike her for those who knew her well. "But my place is beside my Lady and my Hunters-"

"But I will no longer be by your side as your Lady after today, Thalia." Artemis cut in before stepping forwards and looking to Hera. "All of the gods have realized what you wish to do, Hera, but the demigods _are still not aware_." She focussed her eyes on the Queen of the Gods. "You should tell them all what you wish to do, this day will bring the biggest change to them and the world in _millennia_."

Hera nodded, looking to the demigods around her, an apologetic yet proud look on her face. "I apologize, my children. But Artemis is correct, I have not fully been honest with you all." She raised her hands, lifting her palms to face the ceiling as she held them in front of her. "My brothers and sisters, my Olympian family, please rise, _for the last time,_ from your Thrones."

Without preamble Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Hermes, Dionysus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite and Hephaestus silently rose from their Thrones. The very air around them vibrating with a soft hum as the unique and custom Thrones of the gods lost their individual looks, forming into blank, stone Thrones.

Poseidon's fisherman's chair of a Throne melted into a stark white stone right before Percy's eyes, and the demigod knew that this meant _only one thing_.

Hera looked to her fellow Olympians before asking for the various assembled demigods- Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Jason, Nico, Clarisse, Piper, Leo, Katie and Miranda, Will, Travis Stoll and Pollux- to all rise and step forward.

"I believe that it is time for _new gods_ to take the Thrones as I said, but what gods on Olympus could take the Olympian Thrones?" She paused for a second to look over the group of demigods. "I _honestly_ do not believe that many would be up for the task, so, I have this to offer you, _not only_ for your service to Olympus and the world, but for your unquestionable honor as well." She held her hand out to the group as it began to glow like shimmering peacock feathers, the rest of the Olympian Council quickly following suit, their own hands reflecting colors associated with them. "We gods shall pick among you, the most honorable and trustworthy of our children, to take the Olympian Thrones."

She made a step forward towards the demigods, the air around her hands shimmering with power. "Today shall be remembered for all of eternity, as the _new Olympian Council takes their Thrones._ "

The room was speechless, the demigods not knowing what to say. They all just stood like deer in headlights at the Queen of the Gods. Hera continued, looking to Thalia again. "So you see, my child, after today you will no longer be in the service to Artemis. You may do as you wish." She held out her glowing hand, wordlessly asking her to take it and accept the Throne. "And if you so wish to take Zeus' Throne, then you shall have it."

Thalia hesitated as she looked to Artemis, who gave her a reassuring look. "But if Lady Artemis were to no longer lead the Hunt or rule her Throne, then who would?"

"If you were to take Zeus' Throne," Artemis began, giving Thalia a forced smile. "Then I would have to pick another Hunter from my court to take my Throne. But do not worry about _my wishes_ , if you wish to take-"

"Would you allow me to take your Throne, my Lady?" Thalia looked from Artemis back to Hera. "If Lady Artemis is no longer leading the Hunt, then my girls _need me_ , I _could not_ leave them at a time like this."

Hera didn't seem surprised and easily retracted her outstretched arm, looking to Artemis. "That would be up to your Lady, each god or goddess has the full right to select their successor. What say you, Artemis?"

Artemis answered by stepping up next to Thalia and offering the demigod her godly bow. "If you will accept it, Lieutenant, then the Throne of the Hunt, Wilds and Maidens belongs to you."

Thalia didn't even hesitate hugging the goddess. " _Thank you,_ my Lady!" She let go and bit her lip to hold back her emotions. "I will make you proud."

Artemis placed a hand on her shoulder, leading her to the Throne. "You already have, Thalia. Now, lead my girls well. Teach them better than _I_ ever could, teach them not _all men_ are vile pigs." She gave a quick smile to Percy before handing Thalia her bow, the symbol of her godly status.

"Welcome to the Olympian Council, Thalia, Goddess of Lightning, Leader of the Hunt and Protector of Maidens." As soon as those words left Artemis' mouth, Thalia's skin started to glow a shimmering golden hue as she grew into her new Immortal, Olympian body.

She now stood ten feet tall, like the rest of the gods, with dancing electric blue streaks in her hair matching her eyes. She, like Artemis before her, wore a modest traditional toga with a belt slung across her waist that held a generous supply of throwing knives and other gear. On her back was a quiver and a sling to hold her bow. Percy's eyes widened at seeing his cousin, she was like Artemis, _utterly beautiful and breathtaking_ , but also _deadly and intimidating_. Percy knew it would suit Thalia just fine.

Artemis then gestured for Thalia to take the Throne, which she did after a moment of hesitation. As soon as she hit the seat, the Throne morphed into a Silver and Electric Blue color, with lightning bolts and arrows being etched into the ancient marble. Thalia, the new Goddess of the Hunt, looked like she was going to cry out of happiness, but held it in. "Thank you, my Lady."

"Nonsense," Artemis told her as she stepped away from the Throne slowly. "You have earned this. Lead the Hunters well."

With a large smile, Hera stepped up towards Thalia, offering the new goddess a hug. "Welcome to the family, my child. I apologize it took this long." She then faced Jason who stood by Zeus' empty Throne.

"Then Jason, son of Jupiter, as the last in line for the Throne, you may claim it or deny it, your choice. _But make it carefully_ ," She warned as she made her way to him. "You know as I the mistakes your father made, _bring back honor_ to the Throne as the new King of the Gods."

"...That, that is a big responsibility." Jason mumbled after a few seconds, thinking it over in his head. He looked to Piper next to him and gave her waist a comforting squeeze. He looked from Hera to Aphrodite. "What about Piper? Is she going to become a goddess along with me, or not? Because I will _not_ agree if I can't be with her forever."

Piper had a massive smile on her face as she hugged her boyfriend. "I love you, babe."

"Love you too." He smiled at her before looking back to Aphrodite. "Will you make Piper your successor?"

The beautiful goddess practically cried out of happiness upon seeing the display of pure love, crying like a baby. Suffice it to say, but Aphrodite easily agreed.

With that out of the way, Hera stepped up to Jason, offering him the Master Bolt, Zeus' weapon and symbol of his godly power and authority. "Then do you accept the Throne, my child?"

Jason nodded without hesitation this time. "Yes, I accept the duty." He clenched his fist and wore a face befitting the King of the Gods. "I will do my best to live up to the title, Lady Hera. I will do my best to be the King that Olympus and the world needs. You have my word."

"I'm sure you will." Hera smiled before raising her hand. "Then I hereby name you Jason, King of the Gods, Lord of Olympus and Thunder, Ruler of the Skies." So Hera gave him the Master Bolt and Jason, like his sister Thalia, gained a new, godly body and sat on his Throne. He looked like a younger, kinder version of Zeus or Jupiter, though without the beard or suit.

After leaving Jason's Throne, Hera, as well as Poseidon, stepped up to Percy.

"My son," Poseidon started, pride in his watery eyes. "Words _cannot_ express how _proud_ I am of you. And I can not think of _anyone_ other than _you_ , my son, to take my Throne as God of the Seas."

Percy looked to Annabeth, whom he was holding by his side, with eyes that roamed over her entire body, as if he were trying to save the image of her in his head forever. He squeezed her shoulder harder before looking back up to his father.

"I'm sorry, dad…," Percy paused to let his eyes fall upon his father's. "But I have to refuse."

A collective gasp could be heard from the entire Throne Room, with everyone but Annabeth and maybe Lady Hera shocked at his words.

Poseidon, for example, was the most shocked out of all of them. "B-but my son, do you _know_ what you are refusing?" He stepped up closer to his son. Frantic. "I am offering you my Throne, Percy. You will be the _ruler_ of the Seas, Storms and Earthquakes, _the Earthshaker_. The Realm of the Seas is _far larger_ than the Realms of the Earth and Skies, you want to _refuse_ my Throne? _Why?_ "

Poseidon looked to Athena, this time with no childish hate in his eyes. "I am _sure_ that Athena would grant Annabeth her Throne as well, my son. So if you are worried about not being with her-"

"Poseidon is, _just this once_ , correct in his assumption." Athena cut in, looking to her daughter. "Annabeth, you must know that I am planning on offering you my Throne, do you not? If you two were both to accept, then you would be together for all of eternity as not only gods of Olympus, but members of the Olympian Council. A prestigious title that has only been given to fourteen gods in _all of history_."

"We know what we are declining," Percy spoke up for both of them, putting his hand on Annabeth's still mostly flat stomach in a wordless action that told everyone in the room that didn't know the secret news. "But we have bigger things to think about right now. My days fighting- _my days in the Greek world_ \- are over. Right now, we need to focus on our unborn child."

Another gasp sounded in the room, everyone surprised at the news. "But my son," Poseidon began again, speaking quickly. "I am no longer ruling my Throne after today, so _who_ would take the Throne? The Domains I control _must_ be reigned in by someone. If not, then the very world would go out of balance. Seas would flood the coasts, the ground would swallow up cities and storms would ravish the world."

"I _know_ that someone has to take the Throne, dad, but it's not going to be me, sorry." Percy spoke up, looking to his father. "That's why you should give the Throne to Kymopoleia instead. _She_ can rule the Seas now."

Poseidon was surprised by the suggestion of his eldest and most destructive daughter.

"But my son, _you know as I_ that Kymopoleia is _far too_ rash and dangerous to rule the Seas. She is the Goddess of Violent Sea Storms, she represents the raw destructive side of the Seas. If she were to rule my Throne, then she would _no doubt_ cause harm to the millions of sailors in my protection and send the world into-"

"Well we'll never know if we don't give her a chance, will we?" Percy interrupted his father, looking to the floating magical orb above the Hearth that showed the destroyed city below them. "Dad, _I know_ where you're coming from, _I do_. I know Kym is angry and sometimes a little crazy and violent, but a lot of that is _your fault_."

Poseidon stiffened, more confused than upset at his son. "What do you-"

"Kym lashes out because you have limited her powers for millennia, dad." Percy said as he looked to Amphitrite, Poseidon's wife, Queen of the Seas and Kym's mother, who stepped up next to her confused looking husband. "If it weren't for her, then I wouldn't have been able to assemble the dozen or so Sea Deities that helped us defend Olympus and Manhattan. If it weren't for Kym, _then we would have lost today_. I think that she has _more than_ earned the right to take your Throne."

Percy paused for a second, looking between his father and his father's wife. "I _know_ what happened to Triton, dad… And I _know_ that that's why you're worried for me," he stepped back to stand next to Annabeth again. "But I _don't_ want to rule _or_ be a god, or even Immortal. _All I want_ is to live a long, happy life with Annabeth and our family, grow old, take my kids to see my mom and die happy. I've lived through enough war and fighting, _I'm done_. I can't do it anymore. Not again."

Lady Amphitriti spoke up next to her husband. "With Triton gone, my love, Kymopoleia _is_ next in line for the Throne. You would go against tradition and ancient rights and name your youngest child your successor, just like Zeus when he appointed himself over you and Hades?"

That seemed to make Poseidon think, because he opened his mouth to speak but shut it, letting out a sigh before looking to his family. "Do you think that Kymopoleia can do it?" Poseidon asked both his wife and son. "Can we trust her to rule the Throne of the Seas? To be the next Earthshaker?"

"Yes," Percy answered honestly. "I do. And if she ever needs help, you can still be there, dad. You're all not dying, you'll _still be around_ to help Kym, Thalia, Jason and the new gods if they need it."

"I agree with Perseus, husband." Amphitriti answered as well. "If Kymopoleia had been able to organize so many reclusive and reluctant Sea Deities to come to our aid in this time of need, then I _do not doubt_ that she can also keep the peace in the Seas. I personally vote for you to select Kymopoleia to be your heir as the new Queen of the Seas."

Poseidon looked to his son and then his wife, giving a nod as he let a breath out of his nose. "Then if you're _sure_ you won't change your mind, son, I will agree. I shall name Kymopoleia my heir as the new Ruler of the Seas. Amphitriti, will you summon her here?"

The Queen of the Seas gave a knowing smile. "I sent word to her a few minutes ago, Poseidon. She is coming as we speak."

After Kymopoleia arrived and Poseidon explained the situation, he offered his now eldest daughter and child the Throne of the Seas. Kymopoleia was extremely surprised, but agreed after being reassured by her mother that she believed in her. Percy telling her that he also gave up the Throne and offered it to her also helped give the Storm Goddess the courage to accept the Throne.

"Then from now on until you _Fade_ into the _Void_ or offer your Throne to another," Lady Hera waved her glowing hands above Kym's watery head. "You shall be named Kymopoleia, Queen of the Seas, Goddess of Storms, Marine Life and Monsters of the Deep."

Kym was handed her father's Trident, the symbol of his godly power and given a smile by her father and a proud hug by her mother. As she made her way to Poseidon's former Throne, she stepped up to Percy and Annabeth, shrinking into a human-sized form before suddenly and without warning wrapping Percy in a grizzly embrace.

" _Thank you, little brother_." She whispered through a sob, pulling back to face him and Annabeth. "For _everything_. Your kindness and honor will not go unreturned, _I promise you_. As the new Goddess of the Seas, I shall continue to give you any and all access to the Seas as you wish, as well as continue to grant you control over the Domains of Storms and Earthquakes that father bestowed upon you."

"Thank you, Kym," Percy smiled before shaking his head. "But I do not need them anymore, I'm _done_ with the Greek world-"

"But know that you still have them." Kym interrupted him with a smile on her watery face. "Who knows, little brother, one day may come in which you have to protect your family, so I will allow you to retain control over your Domains. Family of the Seas stay together, after all." She put one webbed, watery hand on his shoulder, leaning in close.

"Know that you and your family shall have my protection, Percy. From whatever threats wish you harm. As long as you are within reach of the Seas, me and my kind will protect you and yours." She retracted her arm and began to grow to her previous size. She took a large step away before stopping and looking back, a playful smile on her lips.

"I mean, you _are_ my baby brother, after all." She joked before continuing to her new Throne. "With your luck you are going to need all the help you can get."

After that, Athena tried once more to convince Annabeth to accept her Throne, but she readily refused. Annabeth was just as adamant as Percy, they were ready to move on with their lives, they would still stop by from time to time, and be there if any of their friends needed help, but they were ready to begin the first steps of their next journey as a family.

With Annabeth unwilling to accept the Throne of Athena, the goddess was forced to call upon her next eldest child, Malcolm Pace, and offer him the Throne. After being summoned to the Throne Room and having the situation explained to him, Malcolm quickly accepted the Throne, after giving his big sister a hug and wishing her, Percy and their child well, of course.

Malcolm was made "God of Wisdom and Knowledge, Patron of Libraries and Schools".

Next up came Hades, who didn't give a big, happy speech about how proud he was of his son like the other gods and goddesses, but nethertheless Nico knew his father was proud of him, even if he didn't say it outloud. Persephone did congratulate him with a giant bouquet of beautiful flowers that sang of his greatness though, so that was pretty cool.

"Nico, son of Hades, henceforth until it is your time to _Fade_ into the _Void_ beyond the reaches of Chaos, you shall be named Nico, Lord of the Dead, Ruler of the Underworld and Ghost King."

Demeter was next to choose her successor, but with two eldest children, each having loyally served her and the gods for years, she didn't know who to pick. But Katie, always the mediator, made it an easy pick and opted out of being named as heir.

"I'm sorry, mother, but I can see my destiny before me, as muddled as it is." Katie began, looking between her sister and mother. "I was put on this earth by Chaos to help people, and I _know_ that I could help people as a goddess, but I would be limited by the ancient laws. It is my role to help those that need me, to listen and offer them a shoulder to cry on, to be there for them, even if I am the only one."

Katie looked to her sister, Miranda, with her signature warm smile. "I know you'll do great, sis, and I wish I could stay with you, but my place is at camp with the lost and broken." She faced Demeter, a determined blaze in her usually calm eyes. "I'm sorry, mother, but my place is with my campers. They have no one else but me… and I have no one else but them." She gave a firm nod, like the situation was final. "I'm staying at camp."

Demeter, it seemed, was thankful for her daughter's honesty, because not only did she easily accept her request to not take up the Throne, she also offered Katie Immortality.

"I understand your wish to remain mortal so that you will not be bound to the ancient laws," Demeter began as she put her hand on her daughter's shoulder, mindlessly stroking her curly hair. "But if you believe it is your duty to remain at camp to care for and look after the next generation, then I would like to offer you Immortality."

"You will be like Chiron," Demeter explained, noticing Katie's confused expression. "Neither god nor mortal, free to do as you please, unbound by the ancient laws that govern this world. As an Immortal you will be able to help those who need you, forever."

Katie's determined face broke as tears washed down her sun kissed face, she enveloped Demeter in a large hug, Miranda joining in too. " _Thank you_ , mother," Katie forced out through her tears. "I accept."

Miranda Gardiner, after promising to always be willing to offer the Throne her sister, accepted the Throne. The next new goddess of Olympus, "Miranda, Goddess Agriculture, Vegetation and Farmers", took her Throne beside her fellow new gods.

Piper was made a goddess next, with Aphrodite giving a _very long and teary_ speech about how proud of her she was. After making Piper promise to stay faithful to Jason if she were to marry him, to lead the world in example for how true love should be, or so Aphrodite said, Piper agreed, promising that she would help her mother change the love in the world, to make it purer and more genuine and less contorted and twisted, like Leonidas was secretly trying to do.

"Then Piper, my beautiful and brave daughter, you are now Piper, Goddess of Love and Natural Beauty, Protector of Pure Love".

Piper and Jason shared a kiss before she took her seat, Percy couldn't help but pull Annabeth closer and place a soft kiss in her hair.

Hephaestus, Lord of the Forge was next to stand and offer Leo the Throne if he wished it. Leo, of course, accepted with the goal to free Calypso from her island and bring her back to Olympus to live with him forever. Both Aphrodite and Piper squealed in delight.

Leo was named "Leo, God of the Forge, Volcanoes and Fire. Master Craftsman of the Gods". His Throne was an amalgamation of engine parts, an old gaming chair and what looked like a polished portion of Fetus.

Travis Stoll was selected by Hermes to be his heir to the Throne. Hermes consoled his son for the first time after the death of Connor. After mumbling an empty threat to dye Katie's hair blue in her sleep for mentioning him crying, Travis took the Throne.

"Travis, my son," Hermes began. "I am _so proud_ of you, of _both of you_. And it is my honor to name you Travis, God of Cleverness, Thieves and Messengers."

Dionysus stepped up next, looking to his son. "Pollux, if you would accept, I have decided to name you my heir to my Throne. Do you accept it?"

"Yes, dad." Pollux easily agreed. "I do."

"Then I name you Pollux, God of Wine, Festivities and Rejuvenation."

Apollo moved from next to his sister to his son, offering Will his Throne. "Will," Apollo began, "I'm sure I already know the answer, since I doubt you will be willing to leave Nico-"

"Damn right." Will smirked, giving Nico a sultry wink that made the newly named god blush. Persephone's comments about them making a cute couple didn't help.

Apollo smiled. "Why did I even feel the need to ask?" He chuckled before offering his golden bow to Will. "It's yours, Will, task it. And know that Iexpect to hear news about a wedding any day now-"

" _Daaad_ ," Will whined, blushing a little, glancing around to his friends who all chuckled at the blushing couple. "Not in front of everyone."

"Fine, fine, I'll keep the comments to a minimum, okay? Young love, what'cha gonna do, huh?" Apollo sighed dramatically before handing his bow to his son. "Then I, Apollo of Delphi, name you Will, God of Healing, Archery and Homosexual Men."

Clarisse was the last demigod standing in the center of the Throne Room. She eyed her late father's Throne silently, not participating in the large group hug that Will and Persephone started, not that many expected her to willing do, of course.

Hera, Queen of the Gods, walked silently to the young woman, offering her a wordless hug over the loss of her father.

"My child," the Queen began. "I wish your father could be here to offer you his seat too, as his mother I will miss him a great deal. He may have been flawed and tempermental, but he was _still_ my son. You have my condolences, my child."

"If you so wish it," Hera began, "Then the Throne of the God of War will be yours."

Clarisse hesitated, instead of answering she looked to the floating orb that showed the demigods around the Empire State Building. Among them, tending to the wounded and carrying a camper with a bloody stump for a leg, was Chris, her boyfriend. She watched the orb for another minute, this time moving her focus to the destruction of the city around them. She eyed the burning, crumbling and destroyed buildings. She even stepped up to it to focus on the campers and Roman soldiers who survived as they worked on tearing down as much of their battlements as possible before the military and police arrived in mere minutes.

Silently, Clarisse placed a meaty hand on the orb, focusing her attention on the large, bloody tarp that held the forms of dozens of bloody, white sheets. She watched as the healers slowly carried a small body over, placing it next to another bloody sheet. She raised her other hand to her face and despite it being out of sight, Percy knew that she was wiping a tear from her face. Finally, she spoke.

"Lady Hera," Clarisse didn't turn to face them, instead she kept her gaze focussed on the medical tents and watched as the Campers had to leave their fallen brothers and sisters behind as the military came into view. Chris was the last to turn away, but Percy knew in his heart that Chris _knew_ what he had to do. They _couldn't_ be seen by the military, so they had to leave their fallen behind. It was the _only way_ , but it broke the hearts of everyone in the room, including Clarisse.

"Lady Hera," Clarisse began again, forcing back her sobs, "I would have done _anything_ to make my dad proud of me as a kid… but if _**this**_ is what is in store for me as the Goddess of War... " She paused as she turned around to face the group, her teeth clenched tight like a vice. "Then… then I _don't want_ to be the Goddess of War… _I can't see that again_."

Her voice broke again as she looked back to the orb. The half-bloods had all fled the battlefield and the military had arrived at the Empire State Building. Looking more than shocked and worried by the bloody figures of sheet covered bodies. But when a soldier hesitantly pulled back a small, blood-stained sheet to reveal Kent, the eleven year old son and head of the Aristaeus Cabin, Clarisse broke down.

"I _don't know_ how my dad could stand it…" She muttered under her breath as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "But _no good person_ could _willingly_ accept the title of God of War… _no one_. No decent person could after seeing _this_." With a sniffle and long breath, she looked to Percy and Annabeth.

"Percy and Annabeth have the right idea," She started, her fists clenched tight. "I _can't_ fight anymore, at least, I _can't_ be the one responsible for deaths anymore. I _lead_ most of those campers yesterday, they were _family_ … and I'll protect my family with my life, kill _anyone or anything_ who tries to harm them, but I _could not_ be the Goddess of War. To have to see and sense all of that death, and to feel the anger and hatred of the world…" She looked back to the orb which focussed on a fleeing Chris, a wounded demigod on his shoulders, and gave a loving smile. "Besides, I _couldn't_ leave Chris. He keeps me sane. I'm sorry, but I can't accept the Throne. Ask one of my siblings, but I _can't_ do it." She said as she looked to Hera.

"I _won't_ be responsible for anymore war." She muttered. "I _can't_."

After taking a minute to console Clarisse, the group of remaining demigods and newly named gods, Hera summoned Sherman Yang, the head of the Ares Cabin and offered him the Throne.

He didn't even hesitate.

After Sherman took his new Throne, Lady Hera stepped forwards and addressed the crowd. "My children, my family, fellow gods, there is only one Throne left to fill: Mine."

The goddess stepped up to her daughter, offering her glowing hand. "Hebe, my little one, it seems that there is no better choice for the new Goddess of Marriage." She gave her daughter a loving smile. "You have shown me, the Goddess of Marriage a thing or two about love and forgiveness, while forever staying loyal to your husband despite his unfaithfulness to you."

"Because of this, my child, I offer you my Throne." Hera looked to Hebe to answer, silently holding her hand out to her.

"If you deem me fit, mother, then I will humbly accept." Hebe accepted her mother's hug and moved to her new Throne. "I will do my best, mother."

"I know you will, my child." Hera then waved her glowing hands over her daughter's head. "And then I, Hera, Queen of the Gods, grant you the title of Hebe, Goddess of Marriage, Family and Forgiveness."

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After letting all the congratulations for the new gods end, Hera, the former Queen of Olympus glided up to Percy, offering him thanks and a loving smile that reminded him of his mother.

"Percy Jackson, the Champion of Olympus and Savior of the World, we owe you our thanks." She gave him a hug and then gave one to Annabeth. She then continued. "But our mere words _cannot_ express our true feelings, nor pay you back for all you have done for not only your Camp, but for Olympus and the world as well."

"I know that there is no point in offering either of you Immortality," she smiled warmly, "So I ask this instead: As payment and thanks for your service to us and the entire world, ask for _any_ reward, and it will be given to you."

Percy and Annabeth seemed to have a wordless conversation with only their eyes. The others watched as the two looked at each other for a few minutes, only shrugs or nods gave away any indication about their conversation. And finally, after another minute, Percy looked to Hera.

"We would like to ask for three things, if we can, Lady Hera."

Hera did not hesitate. "Name them."

After a nod from Annabeth, Percy continued. "First, we want a monument to be built dedicated to _all_ the demigods who died in service of the gods in the last few years."

"Consider it done." Hera agreed before looking to Leo. "I trust that our new Craftsman of the Gods would be up to the task?" Leo nodded. "What else, my children?" She asked as she looked back to Percy and Annabeth.

"Lady Hera," Percy began. "I would like to be free of my duty to serve Olympus."

Percy ignored the murmurs in the room and continued with stride, hugging Annabeth into his side. "I need to focus on my new family. We want to move out into the mortal world, buy a house, get myself a job and get ready for our child to be born." He didn't say anything about taking in Leonidas and Eos' daughter, Astraea because he doubted that everyone would be as accepting of their decision as they were. He wasn't even going to tell anyone outside of his mother and maybe Chiron who the girl was. Who her parents really were. Leonidas would be forever remembered as an enemy of Olympus, _a monster_ , so he feared for her safety if anyone ever found out.

"We want to be able to live a life free of wars, fighting and Monsters, so we'd like to also ask for magical wards to be put around us and our family so that our scents no longer attract Monsters." Percy continued, looking to Hera who easily agreed.

"I would rather my children," he said referring to their unborn child and Astraea, " _Not_ attend Camp when they get old enough." He told the group as a few gasps were exchanged. "Going to Camp means they'll have to fight, and I would rather fight _Chaos_ herself with my bare hands then let _anything_ happen to them."

"But Percy," Jason began hesitantly, "Demigod children _need_ to attend either Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. It's like a tradition."

"Yeah," Leo cut in. "What if your kid gets your powers? How will they learn how to control them?"

"I'll teach them." Percy said firmly. "I'll also teach them how to look after themselves and defend themselves, but I will _not_ send them to Camp. At any time a Prophecy could make them go on a dangerous Quest. No, Annabeth and I talked it over, I will not allow any of my future kids attend Camp."

"But Percy, Prophecies _don't_ care whether they're at Camp or not." Apollo spoke up this time. "If any of your future children are Fated to be in a Prophecy, then there is _no helping it_."

"I don't care," Percy said adamantly. "I'll do _anything_ to protect my family." _I swore to Leonidas I'd protect Astraea,_ he told himself. "Even if I have to come back to the Greek world to keep my family safe rather than let them fight, I'll do it in a heartbeat."

Lady Hera looked to Jason. "You are the new King of the Gods, my child. The decision to accept Percy's requests are up to you now."

Jason looked to Piper who sat on her new Throne next to him. She nodded. After letting out a breath, he spoke. "Percy, you're like a brother to me. And Annabeth, I think of you as family, you two _know_ I would do _anything_ for you two… so… I will accept any and all requests you make today." He gave a smile before motioning for Percy to continue. "You had one more request, right? Name it, and it will be yours."

"Thank you, Jason, but this request is more for Lady Hera or Lady Hebe." Percy turned from his friend to face the two goddesses. "My last and final request, is to marry Annabeth. Right here. Right now. I've waited long enough."

"Yeah you have." Annabeth smiled as she nudged him with her elbow. She then looked to Hera, a more timid look on her face. "But if I may, Lady Hera. I know that mortals aren't allowed on Olympus, so my dad can't be here… but can you summon Chiron, please?"

The goddess agreed easily. " _Of course_ , my child. _Anything_ for the bride on her wedding day, but, why Chiron?"

"Because he…" Annabeth drifted off as Piper, Hebe, Aphrodite and several of her Immortal children began setting up for the ceremony. Even Hephaestus and Leo _flashed_ to the Forge to whip up some wedding rings real quick. "...Because he's like a second, or first, dad." She admitted after a few seconds.

Annabeth continued. "I- I want _Chiron_ to be the one to walk me down the aisle if my dad can't be here."

Hera wrapped a loving arm around the young woman's shoulder, giving her a calming squeeze as she leaned in close. "With a reason like that, then how could I say no?" She released Annabeth before standing up straight and offering the soon to be couple a smile. "I'll summon our old friend right away."

 **~Just a Page Break reminding you to Follow me on Twitter~**

The next hour or so before the impromptu wedding went like a blur to Percy, he couldn't even remember changing into a suit and tie, yet he was in one. His unruly hair was even combed back and held together with gel by Aphrodite. But, even if he lived to be a hundred years old, he'd remember when Annabeth walked through the doors leading into the Throne Room where he and all the gods in attendance waited for her.

But Percy didn't pay attention to Apollo and the Muses as they played Annabeth's entry music. Or when Eros and several of Aphrodite's Immortal children flew above and behind Annabeth, letting rose petals float to the ground at her feet. Or to Chiron's face as the old centaur walked Annabeth to the altar, his bearded face dripping with pride and tears. No, Percy didn't pay attention to or notice any of that… he only noticed…

Annabeth, the love of his life. The woman who carried their child inside of her. The girl he would go to the farthest reaches of the world, past the edges of Oceanus and into the _Void_ far beyond the known universe for.

Annabeth, the blonde girl with princess curls, enchanting stormy grey eyes and the girl whom he had fallen for years ago but was too afraid to tell.

Annabeth…

...His future bride…

And that was when Percy came to, with Annabeth, the single most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, even among goddesses and Titanesses, looking deep into his eyes as they took each other's hands.

"You look really handsome, Seaweed Brain." She whispered as Hera began the brief opening speech.

"I, uh…" But Percy couldn't form a single word in his state.

Annabeth gave a discreet giggle before focussing on Hera as she spoke to them, well, as much as she could, anyway.

"It is my honor to stand before you all today as we unite the two demigods and godly houses before us." Hera began before signalling Grover, who had been summoned for the ceremony, to hand Peryc the rings.

"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, do you promise to take Annabeth as your own? To dedicate your entire life to her? To cherish, love, protect and honor, to the best of your abilities, for the rest of your life?"

Percy didn't know how he did it, but he managed to muster out a shaky, "I do."

Hera smiled before looking to Annabeth. "And Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, do you promise to the Percy as your own? To dedicate your entire life to him? To cherish, love, protect and honor, to the best of your abilities, for the rest of your life?"

"I do." Annabeth agreed and Percy felt himself fall in love with her golden princess curls all over again.

Hera gave a proud smile as she raised her hands to the ceiling. "Then, as my final act as Queen of the Gods, I, Hera, with the power vested in me as the Goddess of Marriage and Family, pronounce you man and wife." She smiled as she gestured to Percy. "If you would?"

Percy went in to kiss Annabeth, but at the last second she grabbed his collar, swung him around and dipped him before drawing out a long kiss as she held him.

The entire Throne Room filled with cheers, music and singing as all of Olympus celebrated the new couple.

After she let him back to his feet, Percy looked to his new wife and smiled. "We're staying together," he whispered into her ear only for her to hear. "All four of us now."

"As long as we're together," she whispered back.

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(Author's Note)

Hey guys! How was that ending? It was hard to write, it just felt like a lot of talking and explaining and I feared it would be boring. Let me know if it was okay.

Percy and Annabeth are married now! OMG! Praise the gods above! I can hear the fangirls now, lol.

Next chapter will be Part 3 and we'll be leaving Olympus to see the damage done to the city. As well as learn a few things… dun dun dun…

See ya then! Yell at me if I wait too long between uploads again, okay? You have my permission.

* * *

 **Thank you to my wonderful supporters on Patr-eon!**

' **W.R Winters'**

' **A TerrificAcorn'**

* * *

 **Fun Fact:** 'I created a Leonidas themed custom YouTube Music playlist full of songs I think either really fit his character or ones that I listen to while writing him to help me get in his mindset. They aren't ones he'd listen to personally, since he and Eos mostly listen to old, classical and occasional jazz records. You can check it out(as well as one for an upcoming character that'll be in my upcoming SECRET series after COO) on Pat-reon for only $10USD.

I have THREE, yes three, custom playlists that just recently went up at the beginning of the year. Two are dedicated to characters that'll be appearing next year while the third will be dedicated to 'Writing tips, tricks, how to's, advice and general information videos' that I find really helpful when writing or thinking up stories while laying in bed at 2am. I currently have 285 videos in my personal Writing playlist, but most of those are specific to me with such things like accents, lingo, history, sciences, myths and so on. I'll scour all the videos in my playlist to make you guys a curated playlist of only the most helpful and useful videos. If you guys have any suggestions for the playlist then let me know in a Review or on Twitter! The help would be most appreciated!' [Edit, I wrote this AN long ago, so the Writing Tips and Tricks playlist is available as we speak! Check it out!]

 **Question of the day:** 'Where are you guys from?' I can see from the analytics that I have a wide range of readers from all over the world, I often find myself googling countries I don't know or aren't familiar with and looking them up on the map. If you guys don't feel like telling me specifics(which is fine), then just tell me the country. When I'm rich and living off the royalties of my New York Times Bestselling series, I plan on traveling the world and will visit wherever sounds interesting, lol. So let me know if you live anywhere cool. I'm really interested in small, lesser known places. Say hi from where you're from in your Reviews, okay?

 **Next Time:** What War Leaves Behind


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